Dec 14, 2018
What do you think of when you hear the term, “Broader Impacts?”
Have you ever received a brief and definitive explanation of the
term? To remove all confusion and cut to the heart of what this
term means is the Broader Impacts Guy himself, Dr. Michael
Thompson.
Dr. Thompson is currently on the Senior Staff of the Office of the
Vice President for Research and the Founding Director of the
Broader Impacts in Research organization at the University of
Oklahoma. Dr. Thompson specializes in Impact Strategy, Professional
Faculty Development, Broader Impact Research, Proposal Development,
Social Entrepreneurship, and much more.
You don’t want to miss a minute of this episode as Dr. Thompson
provides his helpful take on the definition of Broader Impacts and
as he reveals some valuable communication tips.
The term, “Broader Impacts” is defined by the National Science
Foundation (NSF) as “...the potential to benefit society and
contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal
outcomes.” The NSF further clarified its thinking on broader
impacts in 2011 when it issued a report stating that broader
impacts “may be accomplished through the research itself, through
activities that are directly related to specific research projects,
or through activities that are directly supported by, but are
complementary to, the project” and that all broader impacts
activities must be meaningfully assessed and evaluated.
Dr. Michael Thompson went even more in-depth with his explanation
of this term, going beyond what NSF has defined by reaching back to
pre-modern America. Dr. Thompson says that the Choctaw Nation has a
name for broader impacts called “I’yyi Kowa.” As a concept and
practice, it meant that this service needed to ensure beneficial
stability or “social balance” and advancement of their society.
It is no coincidence that most people fear public speaking more
than any other situation, getting up to speak in front of others is
nerve-wracking. What if there was a way to midgate those fears and
hone your ability to communicate to your audience? Most
professionals don’t have a problem with the content of their
communication, it often comes down to delivery or adjusting their
approach to their audience.
Dr. Michael Thompson was gracious enough to reveal his helpful tips
for communicating to an audience that is new to your topic or
subject matter.
These are just a few of the powerful insights that Dr. Thompson shares on this episode. To hear more about how he became a more effective communicator, make sure to listen to this episode of When Science Speaks.