Research indicates a number of strategies that can be implemented, both within institutions and with regards to personal efforts, in order to overcome the common challenges of engaging scientists in outreach. 

• By employing or designating an outreach facilitator or education specialist committed to outreach, institutions can help involve their scientists or engineers by reducing the impact of limiting factors of time and funding. A facilitator can help scientists and engineers locate local opportunities and work on proposals to secure funding or support for projects.¹
• By joining the efforts of well-established programs, scientists can gain direct access to education reform efforts and work within an already existing framework in order to make the greatest impact on improving student achievement without needing to devote time to development or logistics.¹
• By taking advantage of existing informational  resources and professional development training designed for scientists and engineers in outreach, scientists and engineers can cut down on preparation time and improve the quality of their outreach efforts by ensuring that their actions are guided by best-practices to increase impact on the state of STEM education.¹
  • 1  Thorrold, A. L., Franks, S.E.R., McDonnell, J., and Peach, C. L.. Ocean Science Education and Outreach: Identifying and Meeting Scientists’ Needs. International Ocean Research Conference 2005.
• For graduate students or postdoctoral fellows, involvement in institutionalized programs, such as the GK-12 Fellowship Program or Mathematics and Science Partnership Initiative, can provide both experience and training in the area of education and outreach through an established infrastructure that combats the limiting factors of time, funding and lack of opportunities.
  • Busch, A.K., and Tanner, K.D. Utilizing K-12 Science Education Partnerships to Develop Scientist Educators: Integrating Pedagogy and Partnership Experiences into Graduate Science Training. National Association for Research in Science Teaching Annual Meeting, conference presentation, Baltimore, MD; April 2008.
• Programs can increase scientist and engineer involvement by offering both extrinsic and intrinsic incentives that will help overcome common outreach challenges. When possible, offering stipends and release time to engage scientists in the implementation of a project will greatly enhance the likelihood of active engagement. Intrinsic incentives for scientists to become involved can be fostered through strong communication of the need for the project and the goals for achievement, professional development offerings that will prepare scientists and engineers for specific outreach responsibilities, and emphasis on partnership between the scientists and engineers and other project partners.
  • Effect of STEM Faculty Engagement in MSP–A Longitudinal Perspective: A Year 4 RETA Report. Prepared by Westat, May 2008, for the National Science Foundation. 
• Research on the positive impact that scientist involvement has on students should be communicated within institutions and science departments in order to provide additional incentive for involvement. Surveys show that scientists and engineers are more likely to become involved in outreach if they are aware of the potential for outreach efforts to improve student knowledge of and attitude toward science.
  • Andrews, E., Hanley, D., Hovermill, J., Weaver, A., and Melton, G. (2005). Scientists and public outreach: participation, motivations, and impediments. J. Geoscience Education. 53, 281-293.