Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center

SPROUT (STEM Professionals Reaching OUT) is a program designed by ABRC to enhance science communication and public engagement for plant science researchers at The Ohio State University. We are currently recruiting our second cohort of SPROUTs and encourage interested researchers to apply by October 1st. This program is available to faculty, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students and research staff working under the broad umbrella of plant sciences. All workshops will be offered virtually and options for coproducing digital content or facilitating virtual outreach programs are available. Researchers on both the Columbus and regional campuses are welcome to apply. 

SPROUT participants will receive science communication training and integration into ABRC's established education and outreach program. This allows researchers to build their broader impacts portfolio without worrying about the logistics of building community partnerships and organizing outreach programs. We offer letters of support to participating SPROUTs for inclusion with federal funding proposals as a means of demonstrating a researcher's commitment to broader impacts. Additionally, this opportunity is also a great addition to postdoc mentoring plans. 

See our SPROUT program flyer for more details about the program. Apply at go.osu.edu/sproutapp by October 1st. Should we receive more applications than we can accommodate, selection decisions will be announced by October 4th. 

The first cohort of SPROUTs include Columbus and Wooster-based graduate students and postdocs from both CFAES and ASC. Each SPROUT participant attended a series of science communication workshops before the program was disrupted by the COVID pandemic. Despite the challenges, a number of SPROUTs were able to participate in virtual outreach including Ohio State's West Fest and Guess Who programs and COSI's Farm Days event.