Show your support for federal science funding- join the McClintock Letters Initiative

Federal funding for scientific research is under unprecedented threat. But how the public responds to this threat depends on the stories they hear, and who they hear them from. Unfortunately, local communities rarely get to connect with the scientists whose work their tax dollars support. To increase opportunities for public awareness of the impactful research being done across the United States, sign up now to participate in the McClintock Letters Initiative.

The initiative, organized by 20+ grad groups across the U.S., along with Science Homecoming and Cornell Advancing Science and Policy Club (ASAP), encourages scientists to write opinion pieces for their hometown newspapers - sharing what their research is about, why it matters, and why science is worth investing in. The goal is to publish over 1,000 op-eds across the country around June 16th – Nobel Prize-awarded geneticist Barbara McClintock’s birthday. To contextualize, 1,000 articles will reach an estimated 8 million people who otherwise may not hear from scientists. Visit the website and FAQ for more information and to sign up now to write a McClintock Letter about your research and its importance. The project is not limited to federally funded researchers or to grad students, because we need the voices of all scientists speaking to their communities.

There is also a free workshop today at 12:30 PM EDT about how to communicate about your science to a broad audience, and you can register here. Reach out to ibd5@cornell.edu or eks88@cornell.edu if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.