UCAR ESL - English as a Second Language

The mission of the UCAR ESL group is to help scientific staff for whom English is a second language to become world-class communicators, orally and in writing. Promoting exchanges among staff from around the world; increases mentoring and collaborating opportunities, prepares any staff member who travels abroad by improving language skills and enhancing cultural awareness, and enhances appreciation of the diversity of NCAR and UCAR staff.

English as a Second Language >

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Staff Development

The CommSci program collaborates to bring relevant courses to HR's Employee & Organizational Development (EOD) program.

EOD course descriptions and schedules >

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UCAR's Communicating Science Program (CommSci) seeks to equip NCAR and UCAR scientific and technical staff to be world-class communicators. This is accomplished by collaboratively identifying and developing learning opportunities, experiences, and resources to enhance skills in oral and written communication across all media.

The CommSci Program is sponsored by Communications, Spark: NCAR & UCAR Science Education, and Human Resources.

Resources

Professional Societies

Communicating Science: Resources for Scientists and Engineers

A partnership between the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Science Foundation to help researchers "extend beyond peer-reviewed publishing and communicate their results directly to the greater public."

Online resources include webinars, how-to tips for media interviews, strategies for identifying public outreach opportunities, and more. There is also the opportunity to participate in AAAS/NSF workshops, often in association with professional meetings.

Communicating Science: Resources for Scientists and Engineers >

The Plainspoken Scientist

The American Geophysical Union created this blog" to encourage scientists to reach out to the public and to do so with plainspoken discussion, be it in face-to-face interactions, through the media, or online.

"This blog aims also to showcase and support researchers who are already doing a great job at communicating science to the public, and to provide tips and a discussion forum for those engaged -- or wishing be engaged -- in conveying accurate information, and the appeal of science, to everybody.

Categories (as of fall 2010):

The Plainspoken Scientist >

Communicating Science News

A guide for public information officers, scientists and physicians prepared and distributed by the National Association of Science Writers.

Communicating Science News >

NCAR Library

Discover our library collections to find the publications, photos and other multimedia, and web resources you need for effectively communicating science.

Writing & Publishing

UCAR Acronyms List
UCAR Writing Style Guide
Policies, Procedures and Guidelines for Submitting NCAR Proposals for Non-NSF and NSF Special Funds (internal only)
COMET guide for producting instructional illustrations
Common Errors in English Usage, Paul Brians, Washington State University
Guide to Grammar and Style, Jack Lynch, associate professor at Rutgers University
Online help with English for scientific writers and presenters, Institut für Sprachwissenschaft, Universität Bern
Online Writing Lab (OWL) — Writing resources from Purdue University
Research and Technical Writing, University of Florida
Technical Writing for Computer Engineers and Computer Scientists, University of California-Santa Cruz
AMS Publications and Information
RefWorks — a web-based tool from the NCAR Library for creating a personal database of citations

Presentation Skills

NOAA Seattle Regional Library Scientific Presentations — Pointers on preparing and presenting oral scientific presentations, using charts and graphs, public speaking
Presentation Skills
Oral Presentation Advice
PresentationsMagazine
Big Dog's Leadership Page-Presentation Skills
The Woman Physicist's Guide to Speaking

Mentoring

CommSci: English as a Second Language
Skills/Learning Exchange — A database of employees who want to share experiences, skills, knowledge and resources with other staff members
NCAR/UCAR Early Career Scientist Assembly (ECSA) — A forum to discuss career development topics and to host scientific leaders in the atmospheric sciences.
Peer Mentoring Groups — A guide to individual Peer Mentoring Groups active within the UCAR
UCAR Coaching Peers (CoPs)--- A group to promote and foster coaching relationships among peers that improve and enhance work-related skills and professional development to administrators and similar job families.

Communicating via the Web and Social Media

How to add a new page to this wiki

UCAR Web Advisory Group (WAG)

UCAR's Web Advisory Group develops policies and strategies, recommends technologies, and coordinates existing expertise and infrastructure related to UCAR's use of the World Wide Web, both internally and externally. WAG meetings are generally held the second Friday morning of each month; attendance is open and welcomed.

Child pages