Communicating Research

Goals

1. Provide an overall evaluation of the "state" of research communications at the medical center. Specifically, please share your opinion about the way the Medical Center communicates science and research, and how these efforts could be improved for more effective communications.
2. Elaborate on how our department's website is working for us, and what we think about plans to upgrade the Office of Research and StarBRITE sites so that they will be more useful to our scientists.

Ultimately, the goal is to identify communication "challenges" that may be frustrating our investigators and/or preventing Vanderbilt research from putting its "best face forward" to the outside world. Department members involved in our web and research communications will have great input on this project, but all comments are welcome.

To assist in this endeavor, the department hosted a "town hall" to gather input/suggestions that will aide in the formation of recommendations that will be presented from our department. As not all department members will be able to attend, a wiki site has been created for your suggestions.

Department Input Meeting August 3, 2010 10:00-11:00AM MCN D-2221

Participants: Jeffrey Blume, Donna Bock, Dan Byrne, Sarah Fletcher, Chris Fonnesbeck, Diane Kolb, Sharon Phillips, Dale Plummer, Terri Scott, Jeremy Stephens, Linda Stewart

Suggestions

• Add Biostat box/button in StarBRITE web site along top and include links to sample size calcs, for example (J Blume)
• Include flowchart and services offered by Biostat in OOR and/or StarBRITE web sites (D Byrne)
• Under Research Planning and Implementation in StarBRITE, add Biostat link (S Phillips)
• Make faculty research profiles uniform throughout the university (J Blume)
• Ensure that faculty researchers contact information is easily accessible (J Blume)
• Make the OOR and StarBRITE home pages more concise -- include left bar and top menu (J Blume)
• Consolidate research resources across the university (J Blume)
• Include latest discovery w/pic in OOR web site (J Blume)
• Show scientist videos/webstreams (D Byrne)
• Have easy access to repository of data to justify research support received from NIH (D Byrne)
• Develop a list of target audiences for web sites (T Scott)
• Use language suitable for audience (D Plummer and C Fonnesbeck)
• Centralize/organize VU efforts for social media networks and video-sharing web sites, e.g., Facebook, Twitter and YouTube (D Plummer)
• Ensure effective communication within each VU department starting from top down to avoid seeming/being disjointed (T Scott)
• Develop a central VU research resources web site (J Blume)
• Announce important research information at spring and fall faculty assemblies and provide research resources during orientation (D Kolb)
• Create an easy URL for research access, i.e., https://research.vanderbilt.edu (D Plummer and J Blume)
• Differentiate purposes and intended audiences for Office of Research (OOR) and StarBRITE web sites (T Scott)
• Provide interesting stories for TV; create shows highlighting important scientific discoveries (D Byrne)
• Improve content shown in LCD projector in hallway (D Byrne)
• Create a research channel (S Fletcher)
• Add a component to the new staff orientation and to faculty and house staff orientations about StarBRITE and research resources available.
• Create/expand on media campaigns that highlight Vanderbilt research (e.g., recent VICC campaign on NPR) (Y Shyr)
• Promote use of Vanderbilt faculty as experts on health/science news stories (Y Shyr)
• Increase recruitment of clinical study participants from outside Vanderbilt community through wider visibility in local media (Y Shyr)
• Ensure Vanderbilt employees are knowledgeable about various Vanderbilt research offices (University Sponsored Research office, Medical Center GCM, Office of Research, Research Support Services, etc.) and consider consolidation of PR activities (L Stewart)

• Please add your name after your suggestion/idea SAMPLE Correct typos before submitting (M Smith)