TOP TEN: Considerations for Elevating SciComm in your Professional Value

This list is intended to serve as a reflective guide to review your current contributions and areas for future development as a professional doing SciComm. You may choose to revisit this list of prompts as you explore new training opportunities, negotiate your salary or role at work, or expand your understanding of science communication as a component of your professional value. This may be especially helpful in spaces where SciComm efforts or products are not “counted” as part of the benchmark for success formula (e.g., academia). With each set of thought prompts, we provide a suggested action item to make your science communication commitment and value more visible to your professional space.

1. Define your goals: What is the mission of your SciComm efforts? Are you aiming to increase public awareness, influence policy, build collaborations, or advance your career? How does SciComm fit into your broader professional identity?
   Suggested action item: write this into your website biography, cover letter, or annual review documents
2. Quantify the effort and impact: Track specific metrics like audience reach (e.g., impressions), engagement levels (e.g., comments, likes), and resulting requests for more information (e.g., media interviews) with each product that you release.
   Suggested action item: document and verbalize how these projects advanced the organization’s goals or improved public understanding of science
3. Review the parameters of your SciComm efforts: Is this work above and beyond the scope of your assigned workload?
   Suggested action item: engage your supervisor in a discussion about how much time and effort to dedicate to SciComm
4. Discuss the range of your SciComm portfolio: Are you becoming skilled in a certain type of SciComm or do you engage in many different types of SciComm? Does your SciComm demonstrate diverse outreach in the types of products (e.g., infographics vs. Op-Eds) or types of outlets (e.g., social media vs. press media)? Do you need additional training in a specific area?
   Suggested action item: offer to host a webinar for your organization on the area where you have the most SciComm skill, so others can learn from you
5. Capture the collaboration efforts: Does your organization value collaboration? Can SciComm be a point of collaboration? Describe how these collaborations enhanced your communication efforts.
   Suggested action item: commit to developing a collaborative SciComm product as part of future project deliverables
6. Describe your influence on colleagues: Are you a leader within your department/organization with respect to creating a culture of SciComm? Has your
   SciComm work sparked those around you to engage in similar efforts?
   Suggested action item: keep track of the number of SciComm products you’ve co-developed or reviewed for colleagues
7. Integrate SciComm into teaching and mentorship: Do you require students to create SciComm products in your undergraduate or graduate courses? Do you provide examples from your work or other experts? Do you talk about SciComm as an aspect of professional development? Are you mentoring students or early-career trainees in SciComm?
   Suggested action item: share SciComm webinars and training opportunities with your team
8. Reach the community: Do you inform community organizations and members about the type of research that you’re doing, which could increase research and program engagement? Do you send updates to your current collaborators and partners about recent publications?
   Suggested action item: increase your visibility by submitting a blurb to local community newsletters or by working with your communications team to promote more broadly
9. Leverage SciComm in funding applications: Have you used SciComm to connect with funding agencies? Are you highlighting SciComm in your NIH biosketch or grant broader impact sections? Are you demonstrating measurable public engagement as an impact metric?
   Suggested action item: add a SciComm section to your biosketch or resume/CV so your skills and contributions are clear to reviewers
10. Refine your approach: How can you increase the impact of your SciComm efforts? Are you iterating based on feedback and analytics?
    Suggested action item: seek mentorship from other professionals doing SciComm about how to expand your current approach

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