What we do
1. Training and Opportunities in Science Communication
2. Engage with Stakeholder Networks
1. Training and Opportunities in Science Communication
Training
We provide formal training in science communication and provide opportunities for our Center members to practice their communications & engagement skills. We provide training opportunities led by experts from within the Center, the Duke Community, and from nationally recognized organizations, such as the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University.
Practice
The RTC has worked with trainees to develop videos where they discuss their research and its importance, along with their interests and paths into science. Our trainees have also spent time developing and teaching lessons to school children.
Trainee videos (refresh to see different video)
2. Engage with Stakeholder Networks
Elizabeth River Project Sediment Remediation Partnership (ERPSRP) — Through a long-standing relationship with the Elizabeth River Project, ERPSRP was developed to bring government officials, academic researchers, remediation project managers, and community representatives together in one room to discuss the progress toward and ongoing plans for cleaning-up the Elizabeth River, which has been polluted with creosote and other chemicals. The RTC helps manage the annual meeting, and arranges for Duke SRP trainees to present their research in the Elizabeth River to the group.
Polyurethane Foam Study — As part of our ongoing efforts to understand human exposure to flame retardant chemicals, the Center offers free testing of polyurethane foam from household furniture, open to the public. The RTC helps manage the study and communicates with participants.
Superfund Research Program Network (SRPN) — In July, 2018, the SRPN convened for the first time for our Superfund Science + Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. The symposium convened trainees and investigators from U. Kentucky, U. Louisville, U. Penn, and Duke, along with several expert guest speakers skilled in science communication and policy integration. The event provided training for trainees in several key areas of research translation and engagement with policy makers.
The group has changed membership a bit over time, and currently consists of the funded SRP Centers in EPA Region 4: N.C. State U., U. Alabama at Birmingham, U. Kentucky, U. Louisville, UNC – Chapel Hill, and Duke. We are planning our next SRPN event for Summer, 2021.
3. Communications
The RTC helps disseminate the Center’s research through quarterly newsletters, social media, and through maintaining this website, and the Duke Superfund blog.
