Advancing communication and engagement in the sciences (aces)

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences awarded Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory $345,113 on August 1, 2026, under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859) to develop and deliver the Advancing Communication and Engagement in the Sciences (ACES) program.

ACES is a nationally accessible, multi-domain science communication training program designed to equip undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career scientists across all biomedical disciplines with communication skills beyond technical writing. The program trains participants in four communication domains: public communication, scientific communication with peer researchers, public outreach, and entrepreneurial communication. ACES integrates instruction in reproducibility, research ethics, responsible artificial intelligence use, and advanced data visualization.

The program will be delivered through an annual online science communication course featuring interactive modules and an optional in-person capstone week where participants refine presentations, engage with subject-matter experts, and practice communication strategies in applied settings. The recipient will also build and maintain a publicly accessible resource library supporting ongoing training access.

The award obligates $345,113 for performance at Salsbury Cove, Maine, with an ultimate completion date of March 31, 2031.

Abstract

The long-term goal of the proposed advancing communication and engagement in the sciences (aces) program at the MDI biological laboratory is to address the critical need for a biomedical workforce skilled in multi-domain science communication. Biomedical research is increasingly complex and taxpayer-funded, yet information on many discoveries, including their relevance to human health, remain inaccessible to the public, policymakers, funders, and scientists in other fields. Current science-communication training largely emphasizes technical writing, leaving gaps in skills essential for public engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, mentorship, and entrepreneurial communication. Aces will be accessible nationally to scientists in any biomedical discipline and will focus on training scientists in the early stages of their careers. Specifically, aces is designed to train undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career scientists to communicate effectively across four key domains: a) public communication; b) scientific communication, i.e. communicating with other scientists; c) public outreach; and d) entrepreneurial communication. Aces will also integrate training in reproducibility and ethics, and responsible use of AI and advanced data visualization. Our aces program will be, to our knowledge, the first nationally accessible scientific-communication training program that provides training in multiple types of communication and that integrates rigor, reproducibility, and research integrity. We will implement our innovative program through three aims: aim 1: deliver an annual online science communication course with interactive modules and an optional in-person capstone week where participants refine presentations, engage with experts, and practice multiple communication strategies in real- world contexts. Aim 2: build and maintain a publicly accessible online resource hub containing examples of participant materials, activity templates, and recordings of expert-led sessions to support participants and the broader biomedical community in adopting best communication practices both during and after the program. Aim 3: establish an online national community of practice (COP) that links participants, course instructors, and other scientific-community members to foster peer-led skill development, iterative practice cycles, and professional networking, ensuring sustained engagement and application of science-communication skills beyond the formal course. Together these elements will equip participants to communicate with clarity, confidence, and integrity, while also being able to embed reproducibility and ethical research and AI practices in their work, and increase public trust in science. By creating a sustainable, nationally accessible training infrastructure, the aces program will foster a generation of biomedical researchers capable of sharing discoveries responsibly, maximizing the impact of taxpayer-funded science, and contributing to a culture of transparent, ethical, and effective science communication.