It has long been established that scientists, and indeed science itself, benefit greatly when there is robust engagement with the general public.  Recent research from the University of Utah argues that most of the previous studies into scientist engagement have focused on the benefits to the public themselves, but they find that the process also benefits the scientists involved.

The researchers distributed surveys to prisoners who were participating in the Initiative to Bring Science Programs to the Incarcerated (INSPIRE) program, which provides scientists with the opportunity to present informal lectures in carceral settings.  This is the kind of engagement the authors argue is crucial if the mission to broaden the reach of science to traditionally underserved groups is to be achieved.

Better outreach

Support for the project was almost universal, with every participating scientist saying that they would recommend the program to their peers.  What’s more, the scientists who gave lectures also said that they would be far more interested in taking various actions on issues relating to social justice so that other under-served groups can engage with science and scientists.

The researchers reveal that the experience also helped to counter some of the negative preconceived notions scientists had of these under-served communities.  For instance, they reported that engaging with them helped to turn them from a statistic to a human being that they could understand and empathize with.

The results give the researchers hope that programs like INSPIRE will be expanded to enable scientists to engage with a wider range of under-served communities.  Indeed, they argue that if just 10% of the scientists in the US were engaging with programs like this, it would give each correctional facility access to around 95 scientists, which would significantly increase outreach.