Scientific research has the power to make our lives better—but only if we use it. The way we communicate scientific discoveries to the public affects our ability to solve the most pressing global issues, from climate change to public health. When you give to the SCR, you’re moving the needle on positive change by preparing the next generation of science communicators to help guide society toward a better future.

Climate Change and Health

Science communication research conducted by SCR associates help communities across Oregon and the nation respond to climate change more effectively. Policymakers and science communicators use the data we collect to build public understanding about the impacts of climate change and encourage people to protect themselves and others. Your gift can help save lives and bring the impacts of climate change under control.

Help Launch a Student’s Career

Emerging scholars who work with SCR associates and students who take their classes gain unparalleled hands-on experience in research and science communication. When you support the SCR, you’re creating opportunities for students to engage in meaningful research while building their portfolios and professional networks so they can hit the ground running when they graduate.

• SCR Small Grant Program: A small grant can be a big breakthrough for a researcher-in-training. Our Small Grant Program helps students take the next step in their research, paving the way for future grants and career success.
• The Science Story: is a two-term course offered each year by Professor of Practice Torsten Kjellstrand and Dennis Dimick. This place-based reporting course focuses on the landscape of the southern Willamette Valley. The instructors aim to help students make sense of the place they live in, how we have shaped this landscape, how it has shaped us, and what this means.
• Science & Memory: Every year our students travel to Alaska and beyond to tell the story of climate change. These once-in-a-lifetime learning experiences help students build their portfolios while discovering the importance of science communication.
• Science communication courses: With the SOJC’s soon-to-be-launched science communication minor and courses on topics such as wildfire communication, SCR helps prepare students for careers as science communicators.

Support Groundbreaking Faculty Research

SCR faculty associates are leading the field in researching how people can improve their lives through better, data-driven decisions. Our discoveries have the potential to impact communities for generations, informing how scientists share their work with the public and how we teach our students to become effective stewards of scientific knowledge.

Researchers at SCR have secured grant funding to study topics ranging from healthcare decision-making to environmental communication, including:

• Wildfire reporting: How does media coverage of Oregon wildfires affect community responses to the threat? SCR founding researcher Hollie Smith collects data to illuminate the science communication dynamics around wildfire and smoke issues in the Pacific Northwest.
• Healthy Oregon Project: How can genetic and behavioral factors help Oregonians understand their cancer and chronic disease risks? SCR collaborates with the Oregon Health Authority and other partners on a study combining genetic cancer screening with behavioral surveys, using a communication strategy led by SCR associate Autumn Shafer.
• Numbers and decision making: How does people’s confidence with math and numbers affect their financial and health decisions? SCR director Ellen Peters received a $634,975 grant from the National Science Foundation to advance her research on numeric literacy. She recently published her findings in the book Innumeracy in the Wild.

Learn more about our SCR Small Grant Program , which helps faculty advance their research and provides a stepping-stone to larger grants and contracts.

Start Meaningful Conversations

SCR brings top science communication experts to campus to speak about the most pressing issues of our time. Guest lectures help fuel research excellence and bring fresh perspectives to students and faculty. We’ve sponsored world-renowned speakers such as:

• Factcheck.org co-founder Kathleen Hall Jamieson on countering the influence of Russian hackers and communicating emerging science about COVID-19
• Dr. Renee N. Salas, Yerby Fellow at the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Affiliated Faculty and previous Burke Fellow at the Harvard Global Health Institute on Climate Action: A Powerful Prescription to Improve Health and Equity
• Former NOVA producer Paula Apsell on the art of science television
• Former National Geographic editor Dennis Dimick on the cost of Anthropocene prosperity

Contact University Advancement Development Director John McGrath to learn more about funding a guest lecture.