A Guide to Building Partnerships Between Science Museums and University-Based Research Centers

NISE Network product
Description
Step-by-step advice on planning, developing, funding, and maintaining education outreach partnerships between research centers and museums. This 50-page guide is an updated and consolidated version of the older "Small Steps, Big Impact" guide posted online. Helpful for both science museum and research center planners, this 2013 edition is available both as a free 25-page landscape-view PDF download and as a handy 50-page 6x9 printed booklet that can be ordered for $12 including shipping from the Museum of Science, Boston.
Product category
For Scientists
Professional Development
For Educators
Audience
Scientists
Informal Science Educators
Topics
Science and Society
Societal Topics

Objectives

Big Idea

Science museums and university-based research centers can develop funded education outreach and public engagement partnerships that leverage their respective expertise and resources, while advancing the goals of research funding agencies. It's a win-win for all, especially the prospective audiences.

Learning Goals

Understand how to make a proactive strategic assessment to define the goals of science museum and research center partnership.

Learn how to put infrastructures in place to accommodate partnership initiatives.

Get ideas on how to recruit a partner and structure the relationship.

Find out how to collaborate on winning proposals for direct or sub-award funding.

Prepare to maintain and expand the partnership over time.

Nano Content Map
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Credits

Funding

Developed for the NISE Network with funding from the National Science Foundation under Award Numbers 0532536 and 0940143. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this product are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.

Permissions
Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US) more details: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/
Development Process
NISE Network products are developed through an iterative collaborative process that includes scientific review, peer review, and visitor evaluation in accordance with an inclusive audiences approach. Products are designed to be easily edited and adapted for different audiences under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license. To learn more, visit our Development Process page.
Project
Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network