FameLab USA: Improving Science Communication Skills for Early Career Scientists

FameLab International is a science communication competition for early career scientists pioneered by the Cheltenham Science Festival in the United Kingdom in 2005. At its heart is training in the best practices and techniques of good communication. NASA's Astrobiology Program and its partners implemented FameLab USA, one of over 30 implementations around the globe, from 2012 to 2016. FameLab USA's focus was on providing high-quality training for participants and equipping and empowering early career scientists to become skilled, confident communicators of science. The impacts of FameLab USA on participants have been studied, and results from these analyses are presented here. Significant gains in skills for all participants were documented, especially their ability to make better connections with audiences and use thematic structural elements to organize a presentation. Participants reported gaining confidence in their ability to communicate and expanding their self-identity to include "science communicator" in addition to "scientist." They also reported that the FameLab experience increased the likelihood that they would look for communications opportunities and meet challenges presented by their institutional environment to engaging in communication. The overall conclusion is that improving and expanding communication skills and attitudes have changed how participants value communicating about their work and how competent they feel in doing so, which leads to their communicating more often.