This CRPA award will provide the audience at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences with a contemporary science story about a 68 million year old dinosaur. In the research behind this exhibit, soft tissue (proteins and DNA) has been isolated and will reflect various characteristics of the animal and its habitat. Scientifically, this is a very exciting venture in that up to this point it was assumed that the soft tissue was lost and could not be derived from fossils. So, this is a modern day break through on the vast field of fossils that will provide unique details in the future. In addition, the scientific processes and instrumentation shall be elaborated to provide the visitor with scientific thinking and work as well as a marvelous lesson in comparative biology. Finally, the scientist in this project is a women and it is hoped that this will be inspirational for girls.
The exhibit will be focused on a dinosaur in a new specially design wing of the natural sciences museum. The areas immediately around the fossil will be populated with explanatory modules elaborating various aspects of the fossil and the pertinent science. Some hands on equipment will be in the Hall as well. The presentation is aimed at youth, families, and especially girls. In an adjacent set of rooms, there will be research scientists doing research and available for answering questions.
The significance of this presentation is contained in its integration of ancient creatures with modern science thinking and processes. It appears as a science exhibit, but it is intended to be inspirational to individuals who are among underserved groups who are seldom given the opportunity to imagine and learn.
Friends of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, the nonprofit support group for the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, received a $149,402.00 Communicating Research to Public Audiences (CRPA) NSF Award (#DRL-1139220) to translate PI Mary Schwitzer’s NSF-funded research (EAR 0541744) on dinosaur DNA into easy-to-understand messages for public audiences. NSF funds under this CRPA award were used to develop and create a permanent exhibit at the Museum’s new wing (the Nature Research Center), which is now viewed by more than 1 million people annually. Funds were also used to support a continuum of outreach initiatives that bring informal science education on Dr. Schweitzer’s research in paleontology to the community. Programs were delivered by expert educators to offsite locations that reach underserved audiences (juvenile detention centers, pediatric hospitals, schools and libraries in economically depressed communities and more). The grant award also covered evaluation to determine the effectiveness of the exhibit in communicating research to the public. Funds were used to contract with Magnolia Consulting, a women-owned business, to ensure the objectivity of the evaluation. Results were positive and the Museum was encouraged by the responses that indicate messages were not only received but considered to be high quality educational experiences.
