Decoding Research!America’s Civic Engagement Microgrant program that funds student groups across the US

Fanuel Muindi travels to Washington DC to interview Jenny Luray, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Public Engagement at Research!America, about their mission to strengthen federal support for health research and bridge the gap between scientists and the public.

Luray emphasizes, ‘Too many Americans are completely unfamiliar with what scientists do, and that has enormous implications,’ highlighting how this affects trust in science and career pathways. She discusses Research!America’s Microgrant Program, which funds student-led projects to connect scientists with their communities, noting, ‘We’ve had an incredible range of really creative undertakings.’ Reflecting on systemic barriers, she states, ‘The incentive structure right now is not set up to foster civic science,’ but expresses optimism about grassroots efforts, mentorship, and institutional change.

Luray concludes with hope for collaboration, saying, ‘We know what the levers are now, and it’s time to pull them together.’”

References

About Jenny Luray

Recommended Strategies to Integrate Public Engagement and Civic Science Training Into Graduate STEMM Education

Learn about Research!America

Civic Engagement Microgrant Program

Read Research!America’s report looking at the impact of the first four years of the Microgrant Program.

Visualizing Society for Science’s STEM Action microgrants across the U.S.

Fanuel Muindi

Fanuel Muindi is a former neuroscientist turned civic science ethnographer. He is a professor of the practice in the Department of Communication Studies within the College of Arts, Media, and Design at Northeastern University, where he leads the Civic Science Media Lab. Dr. Muindi received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology and PhD in Organismal Biology from Morehouse College and Stanford University, respectively. He completed his postdoctoral training at MIT.