Researcher Engagement serves as a formal way to connect members of the Simons Foundation’s scientific community with public engagement opportunities and support them throughout those experiences. The variety of paths for involvement are strategic by design and can be directly mapped back to Science, Society & Culture’s guiding principles of fostering inspiration, connection and belonging in science.
The initiative also serves to connect our scientific community to the existing Science, Society & Culture network, create new opportunities and work in partnership with our neighbors in the Flatiron District of Manhattan. The work in this portfolio falls into two main focus areas: efforts that aim to elevate science as part of culture and opportunities that support STEM pathways for future generations of scientists.
Science in Culture
At the center of the Science, Society & Culture division’s mission is the belief that science is part of culture — that the building blocks of science are similar to those of art, music, film, design and more. All involve innate curiosity and experimentation. We connect the work of our in-house researchers to organizations and projects that reinforce this notion.
Laura Splan. “Baroque Bodies (Sway)”. 2024. Interactive installation. Photo by Will Yang.
Supporting STEM Pathways
Great science demands a multiple perspectives. In that spirit, we work with our researchers to foster the next generation of scientists through mentorship to broaden the scientific community and open pathways to science and mathematics careers.
