The Office of Research Initiatives and Development is pleased to bring you a very special edition of Funding Forward: Strategies for Securing Research Funding. Join us as we welcome the renowned Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science for a live, interactive workshop on one of the most critical — and often overlooked — skills in a researcher’s toolkit: communicating your science effectively.
If you are interested, please register with your Columbia email address. Any non-Columbia email addresses will not be permitted to attend.
About This Session
Join us for Creating Connections, an immersive, interactive webinar experience led by Alda Center-certified facilitators. This session introduces researchers to the science of science communication — blending applied improvisation with evidence-based communication strategy to help you connect more authentically with any audience.
Whether you’re communicating with funders, foundations, or the general public, this session will give you practical tools to make your research resonate.
In this interactive session, you will:
• Understand how improvisational techniques paired with communication strategy create a powerful science communication toolkit
• Identify strategies to make your research messages memorable and impactful
• Recognize jargon in your own work and learn when (and how) to reduce it
• Apply a 3-step process to develop a clear, compelling message for any audience
• Practice projecting an engaging, confident presence — even on camera
About the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science
Founded in 2009 by actor, author, and advocate Alan Alda, the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University is the nation’s leading science communication research, training, and education organization. Over the past decade, the Center has worked with more than 20,000 researchers from hundreds of organizations around the world.
The Alda Center’s signature Alda Method® is a proprietary, immersive, and multidisciplinary approach grounded in social science research and applied improvisation. Its programs empower scientists and researchers to share their work in ways that build trust, inspire action, and engage diverse audiences — from funding agencies to the public.
The Alda Center has partnered with universities, federal research agencies, national laboratories, and global scientific organizations. Their facilitators are certified experts in both science communication research and experiential learning. This is not a lecture — it is a hands-on, participatory experience designed to create lasting change in how you communicate.
Technical Requirements for Participants
To fully participate in this interactive session, please ensure the following before joining:
• Access to Zoom via a laptop or desktop computer (mobile participation is not recommended for interactive exercises)
• Webcam enabled — this is an interactive session and camera participation is strongly encouraged
• Microphone enabled — you will be invited to engage verbally during exercises
• A quiet space where you feel comfortable speaking aloud and experimenting
⚠ Note: Camera use is a key part of the Alda Center’s interactive experience. Participants who join with their cameras on will get the most out of this session.
We hope you will join us for this unique and enriching session. Spots are limited — register early to secure your place!
