Communicate to collaborate: tailoring science communication within the scientific community
This project will explore how to increase awareness and collaborative opportunities within the research and industry sectors for a national ecosystem monitoring program.
The Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) is a national project, funded by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).
Ecosystem Surveillance is a platform within TERN, based at the University of Adelaide, Waite campus. This group provides research infrastructure in the form of 700 (ever increasing) 1 hectare ecosystem monitoring plots across Australia, as well as open source surveillance monitoring data, and soil and vegetation samples.
The ecosystem surveillance group also provides survey methods training to researchers, applied scientists, students and land managers. The team consists of ecologists, field technicians, software engineers, project managers and science communicators.
Aims of this honours project
- Investigate how to connect the open source services, data and samples that are available through the surveillance monitoring program with the intended audiences.
- Specialised science communication; the target audience is a very select group. In particular how to educate researchers (why and how they can use the data and samples), and industry and government (to engage with the program).
- What are effective communication methods and messages for these audiences?
- What is the best way to provide ecosystem surveillance methods training? Evaluate success of past training field trips and workshops and make recommendations for future training programs.
Study with the Environmental Monitoring Group
The TERN Ecosystem Surveillance team are part of the Environmental Monitoring Group in the School of Biological Sciences based at the University's Waite campus.
The Environmental Monitoring Group is a group of passionate ecologists, technicians, and communicators. We work together to develop innovative scientific tools and strategies to monitor ecosystems, create and deliver robust environmental data-sets, and share our services, data, and samples with researchers around the world.
We collaborate with academic and industry partners to provide high-quality information, resources, and analysis to make informed management decisions, and to support future research in a wide range of fields. We are also passionate about scientific communication and community engagement. Our work is focused on, but not limited to Australian terrestrial ecosystems.
Supervisors
Associate Professor Ben Sparrow
Co supervisors: Dr Katie Irvine
Research area: TERN Ecosysterm Surveillance team, Environmental Monitoring Group, School of Biological Sciences
Recommended honours enrolment: Honours in Science communication or Honours in Ecology and Environmental Science