Embracing Broader Impacts in Science: Insights with Janice McDonnell

💡 How can researchers transform their work from academic silos into meaningful societal impact that truly benefits communities while advancing their careers?

Today on the Science with Impact Podcast, Dr. Janice McDonnell, Associate Professor at Rutgers University and ARIS Broader Impacts specialist, shares her transformative approach to making research accessible and impactful. With over 30 years of experience bridging marine science and education, she reveals practical strategies for developing authentic community partnerships and navigating NSF's evolving broader impacts requirements.

Who is this for?

• Early career researchers struggling to develop meaningful broader impacts plans

• Principal investigators seeking authentic community engagement strategies

• Research administrators building institutional capacity for societal impact

• STEM educators looking to connect research with real-world applications

• Science communicators wanting to make complex research relatable

What's it about?

Dr. McDonnell's journey from marine scientist to expert in broader impacts illustrates how researchers can expand their influence beyond academia. She shares her experience leading the transformative MARE program, which reached 10,000 students and trained 550 teachers over 15 years, demonstrating a quantifiable community impact. The conversation explores her development of the ARIS Broader Impacts Toolkit—a comprehensive resource helping researchers navigate NSF requirements through self-reflection and strategic planning.

🔑 Key Takeaway: Every scientific field has broader impact potential—the key is asking "why" questions until you find the human story that connects your research to what communities care about, then building genuine two-way partnerships that benefit both science and society.

Time Stamps:

00:00 The Broader Impact of Science
00:58 Meet Janice McDonnell: A Passion for Science and Education
02:16 Building a Legacy: The MARE Program
06:49 The Importance of Active and Social Learning
14:39 The Role of Mentors and Personal Influences
18:59 Developing the ARIS Broader Impacts Toolkit
24:02 Challenges and Solutions for Early Career Researchers
26:28 Reflecting on Academic Impact
27:06 Defining Goals and Strategies
28:06 Balancing Power Dynamics in Research
29:09 Collaborative Research Success Stories
30:40 Building Institutional Capacity for Broader Impact
33:05 Adapting Broader Impact Strategies Across Disciplines
35:40 Making Complex Science Relatable
40:55 Challenges in Communicating Science
44:32 Engaging with Broader Audiences
51:03 Future Directions for Broader Impact

Resources:

• ARIS Broader Impacts Toolkit - Comprehensive planning and evaluation tools

• NSF Broader Impacts Guidelines - Official NSF criteria and examples

• MARE Program - Marine science education curriculum

• Tools of Science YouTube Series - Making research practices accessible to students