Scientific communication is increasingly recognized as a core area of competency for graduate students, yet many STEM programs still rely on informal mentoring rather than evidence-based approaches to developing these skills. This webinar brings together three NSF Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) projects that are advancing the research on STEM communication while developing, testing, and evaluating scalable models for graduate education.
Presenters will examine how science communication competencies can be strengthened through institution-wide science communication initiatives, systemic approaches to graduate writing instruction, and the application of cognitive theories of learning to communication training. Across the three projects, participants will explore what the research reveals about how STEM graduate students develop as communicators, how institutions can create environments that support these skills, and how evidence can be used to adapt best practices within a variety of institutional settings. Attendees will leave with practical strategies and adaptable models for integrating communication training into graduate curricula, professional development, and institutional practice.