SciREN’s Mission
The Scientific Research and Education Network (SciREN) aims to connect local STEM researchers and educators to foster the dissemination of current research and ultimately enhance the science literacy of today’s youth.
For more information please see our About Us Page!
Researcher FAQs
Why participate?
SciREN offers researchers the opportunity to create and share classroom-ready exercises with educators and to inspire students by bringing their work to life in local classrooms. Through both the annual SciREN networking event and a lesson plan writing workshop, SciREN supports researchers in their efforts to develop broader impacts, enhance outreach and communication skills, and network with local educators and researchers. Networking can also lead to future collaborations, classroom visits, and a stronger background in outreach for grant applications.
Who can participate?
In short, anyone in a Science Technology Engineering or Math (STEM) related field is encouraged to participate in SciREN! In the past, participating researchers have come from diverse backgrounds often including academic institutions, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. Undergraduate students, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, research technicians, staff, and faculty are all encouraged to participate either as individuals or as a group.
Is there a fee to participate?
No, SciREN networking events are FREE for researchers and educators!
What can I expect from a SciREN networking event?
At the annual SciREN networking events, researchers are stationed at tables throughout the venue. The venue for the SciREN Coast networking events is the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. The venue for the SciREN Triangle networking events is the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. The venue for SciREN Georgia is the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens, GA. Educators circulate around the venue to receive and discuss the lesson plans that the researchers develop and share contact information to facilitate classroom visits and further communication between educators and researchers.
How do I sign-up?
Soon you will be able to check out our Researcher Registration page to see when events are scheduled and when you can register.
What support does SciREN give for researchers with lesson plan development?
The annual lesson plan workshop is offered approximately two months before the annual SciREN networking events. The purpose of the first portion of the lesson plan workshop is to introduce the concept of lesson plan preparation to researchers with a particular emphasis on making connections to the NC essential standards and other national standards. In the second part, we offer the opportunity for educator panelists to share advice on lesson plan development with researchers. The third portion and the majority of the workshop is dedicated to small group discussion between researchers and educators. This gives researchers a chance to discuss their research and their lesson plan ideas and determine how their work fits into the classroom curriculum at different grade levels.