For Faculty

For University Faculty

UA Science Connections promotes outreach efforts among campus researchers and the larger community. Researchers can find existing programs, facilities and networks to plug into to enhance the broader impacts of their research grants by effectively using existing infrastructure. Local teachers and informal science groups can also find connections to research-based learning and collaborations for their classrooms and educational programs.

Expertise: We are experienced outreach professionals who know how to communicate to a variety of audiences.  In addition to engaging the general public, we possess the knowledge, experience, and skill-sets to target more specific audiences such as underserved, underrepresented, and female K-12 students.

Outreach Venues: Our staff members are based at and operate through UA Science:  Flandrau, Biosphere 2, UA Science Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter, Tumamoc Hill, the Laboratory for Tree-Ring Research, and the Richard F. Caris Mirror Laboratory.  Together, these six venues serve more than 160,000 people annually.  For more information, please open the UA Science Venues tab at the top of this page.

Exhibits and Multimedia: In addition to expertise in exhibit and hardscape design, standards-based lesson plan creation, and other informal science education and outreach products, our team possesses a full range of multimedia capabilities including film, still photography, sound design, web page design, and social media expertise.  This wide-range of experience allows UA Science to fully engage with the community.

UA Science Connections also provides a menu of opportunities for researchers.  Any researcher working on a grant proposal can plug into this group to get help to develop an education and public outreach (E/PO) plan for the grant proposal, to implement an E/PO component tied to the research of the project, and to amplify the impact of the project’s E/PO particularly in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Contact us today! 

Education and Public Outreach Resources:

National Science Foundation Informal Science Education (ISE) Grants

Tucson Teacher Circles for Teachers of Mathematics

Center for Recruitment and Retention of Mathematics Teachers (CRR)

Science Literacy Principles:

Climate Literacy Principles (NOAA)

Ocean Science Literacy Principles (NOAA)

Federal Education and Outreach Goals:

NOAA Education Strategic Plan

National Science Foundation Broader Impacts Review Criterion

NASA Education

NASA Science Mission Directorate

Private Foundations:

Many private foundations offer grants for education and public outreach. The Grant, Information, Facilitation, and Training (GIFT) Center supports University of Arizona faculty, staff, and development personnel with non-governmental charitable grant seeking activities.

Grant Evaluation Resources:

NSF Human Subjects Guidelines

NSF Handbook for Project Evaluation