Center for Scientific Collaboration and Community Engagement

LAST CALL: An introduction to project management for scientists ?? Registration closes TOMORROW (13 March) for our project management-focused Mini-workshop. This 2-hour session is tailored to scientific contexts, so if you’re running a collaborative project or coordinating work across multiple lab groups or institutions, then this is a great opportunity to consider a structured approach to managing your team: https://lnkd.in/g8xpJJ4g And if this introductory training speaks to you, know that it leads into a more in-depth, three-week Project Management for Scientists bootcamp that starts at the end of the month. ?? More information about both trainings and the theory underpinning them is available on our website: https://lnkd.in/gwNgmxZx

Tired of attending meetings that could be emails? Us too! And you can join us in “making a PACT” for more engaging virtual meetings and events! Our four-part PACT framework outlines the key elements to consider when planning a virtual meeting or event: P for purpose, A for attendees, C for community management, and T for tech tools. And there’s a reason the P is first - if your meeting doesn’t have a purpose, why have it at all?? We’ve been sharing this framework with our clients in an applied webinar format (aka, Mini-workshop) for several years now, and it consistently resonates. In fact, we’re running it twice this week for Crossref’s Ambassador program (to accommodate their global reach across multiple time zones). Not a Crossref Ambassador? No worries! You can take the Mini-workshop as an individual via our general registration option on Wednesday, 19 March: https://lnkd.in/gMhUhgsU There are still some spots available (but registration closes THIS Wednesday, 12 March, so don’t delay) and we’d love to have you join us. Or, if you’d like to discuss a private offering of the training for your organization or community, let us know by emailing training [at] cscce [dot] org.

We’re ending the week with another graduation session - this time for our second cohort of Content Design (CODE25W). Congratulations to all of our grads - many of whom are part of the CSCCE Community Manager Certification Program! ?? We’re impressed by all you’ve created together during the course - from blog posts and strategic emails to tip sheets and content campaigns - it’s been a wonderful 6 weeks with you! If you’re planning or creating any type of content in your community, we’d love to welcome you to CODE in the future - please let us know your interest using this short form: https://lnkd.in/dqZvG4tE

Do you organize online meetings events? Then we have a couple of REALLY relevant (online) Mini-workshops coming up! “Making a PACT for engaging virtual meetings and events” is a practical introduction to designing successful online gatherings, and uses CSCCE’s PACT (P for purpose, A for attendees, C for community management, and T for tech tools) framework to guide meeting organizers through a tried a tested planing process. This workshop is perfect if you’re new in your role, or troubleshooting low engagement at your events. And then in “Designing for effective decision-making during virtual meetings” you’ll take a closer look at various options for group decision-making, and discuss how you as a meeting organizer can facilitate these processes. This is a more “advanced” training, and naturally builds on the basics covered in “making a PACT.” Registration is open for both workshops via Eventbrite: Making a PACT (19 March 2025) - https://lnkd.in/gMhUhgsU Decision-making (9 April 2025) - https://lnkd.in/dx3YfvF4 You can find all CSCCE trainings on our website calendar here: https://lnkd.in/gvpAYbeB And let us know if you have any questions!

At the end of this week, we’ll be saying “congratulations” to another cohort of Scientific Community Engagement Fundamentals (CEF) learners! This cohort, CEF25W, will be the 20th graduating class of CEF (we’ve run 15 general registration cohorts, and 5 private cohorts in collaboration with our clients), and on Friday we’ll get to celebrate their accomplishments in an online poster session! You can find out more about the topics covered in CEF on our website: https://lnkd.in/g45thQMt This is also the second cohort of CEF that our fantastic trainers Alice Martinic and Alli Lindquist have led together, confidently “taking the baton” from Lou Woodley and Camille Santistevan, who developed the course back in 2020. This growth in our training team means that we can continue to deliver more trainings more often, and also develop new offerings that meet the evolving needs of our learners. Go team! CEF resonates with community-builders in a range of STEM settings (https://lnkd.in/etbn-DdK), and has offered both new and more experience community managers a firm foundation from which to build their engagement strategies for the past five years. If you’re interested in taking the course, which we’ll likely offer again later this year, please let us know by completing this short form: https://lnkd.in/dqZvG4tE

Earlier this week we hosted “An introduction to project management” - a new Mini-workshop that we piloted for a client last year. This was our first offering of the workshop for a general audience, and it was so popular it quickly sold out!! Thank you to everyone who participated and made the session the success that it was. If project management is part of your day-to-day role and you’d like to get a taste of how to bring more structure to your work, we will be running the session again on 20 March. You can sign up via Eventbrite here: https://lnkd.in/g8xpJJ4g This training sets you up perfectly to join us at the end of March for our “Project Management for Scientists Bootcamp” - a three-week intensive that meets twice a week. You’ll leave the training with a project management “canvas” tailored to your community or team, and relevant case studies from various STEM settings. Find out more on the CSCCE website! https://lnkd.in/gwNgmxZx

Last week’s CSCCE monthly community call included an update from CSCCE’s leadership team, as well as time for our community members to share the challenges they’re facing and the community activities they would find most supportive. We’ve recapped the call on the CSCCE blog: https://lnkd.in/d63NtnAi A couple of things we’d like to draw your attention to here: - We’re currently planning which of our online courses we’ll run in Q3 and Q4 of this year. If you’re interested in furthering your professional development as a community builder (and/or project/program/communications manager!) in STEM, please let us know by filling in this short form: https://lnkd.in/dqZvG4tE (you can also use the form to let us know if cost or time zone compatibility is a barrier to your participation in CSCCE trainings) - If you’re interested in getting more involved in our community of practice, e.g., as a co-lead of a local chapter or topical Slack channel, please let us know by emailing info [at] cscce [dot] org Make sure you check out our calendar of events to find our more about the Mini-workshops we currently have on offer: https://lnkd.in/gvpAYbeB

Tomorrow (Wednesday, 19 February at 11am EST) we're hosting our monthly community call. Originally scheduled for January (and then rescheduled to tomorrow due to staff illness), this month's call will include some updates from CSCCE about our plans for 2025, as well as a conversation on how we can best support STEM community professionals in the coming months. Anyone working to support collaboration and community in STEM is welcome - you can find the Zoom link to join the call in our blog post: https://lnkd.in/dpqMdtGi

PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR SCIENTISTS! We have TWO new trainings designed for anyone managing a STEM project – whether that’s coordinating a multi-disciplinary grant, launching a new program, or delivering an update to technology or documentation. The training is designed as a 2-hour introductory Mini-workshop, followed by a 6-module, 3-week bootcamp intensive. These trainings are a great opportunity to enhance your project management skills in a short timeframe, with materials and case studies tailored to STEM contexts. Mini-workshop: An Introduction to project management for scientists Thursday, 20 March at 12pm EDT / 4pm UTC Investment: $150? Register on Eventbrite: https://lnkd.in/g8xpJJ4g Bootcamp: Project management for scientists? 31 March - 17 April Investment: $595 (pilot pricing for nonprofits) / $750 (supporting rate aimed at for profits and those who would like to support the participation of others) Register on Eventbrite: https://lnkd.in/gatVSwMb More information about both trainings is available on our website: https://lnkd.in/gwNgmxZx To request financial assistance (limited, and offered based on others paying the supporting rate) please complete our course discount request form: https://lnkd.in/gVSje_N7

Last week we published a NEW resource on creating community-engaged content! In this free-to-download guidebook, we describe how various types of content (from blog posts to slide decks to community calls) can build community AND convey information. The guidebook describes six "social roles" of community-engaged content: - Creating cohesion and/or a shared narrative - Establishing shared rituals? - Learning more about one another - Determining and evolving shared interests? - Making values visible and reinforcing them - Creating an inclusive environment ...and six "informational roles: - Curation - Synthesis - Explainer - Publicity / invitations - Scaffolding - Engagement / activity ...and explores the various ways they can be used to build community and support collaboration in STEM. You can download your copy of the guidebook here: https://lnkd.in/egTdZb99 And do let us know what you think!!