Courses at Harvard

Are you a student or trainee at Harvard? Explore our course offerings below designed to complement your scientific training. SCi offers a range of courses on science policy, ethics, and science communication. You will leave the SCi classroom with a broadened perspective and new skills to navigate science outside the lab.

FULL SEMESTER COURSE

Deficit model approaches to science communication presume that facts speak for themselves and that providing “lay ” audiences with scientific information can dispel public opposition to science and technology.

This course, developed in partnership with Essential Partners, turns the deficit model on its head by providing the critical awareness and skills needed for truly effective science communication and community engagement.

Through a combination of short lectures, small group activities, and targeted communication training, students will gain the necessary skills to apply these learnings to a diversity of audiences. Together we will explore case studies ranging from vaccine uptake to population genomics, and disability justice to cultivate ethical communication strategies that aim to connect across differences.

 

Instructors:

Natalie Kofler, MS, PhD CTA

Riley Taitingfong PhD CTA

Dates of Offering:

Fall 2022

More information coming soon.
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NANOCOURSE SERIES

Harvard graduate students are able to bundle multiple nanocourses together to receive course credit. Students who have taken a total of three nanocourses can register for CELLBIO300qc and receive a quarter course equivalent of credit on a pass/fail basis. Six or more nanocourses can be used to satisfy the requirements for the half course CELLBIO399.

 

This interactive course provides a high-level understanding of the relationship between science and policy, the role of values in crafting policy recommendations, and the complex ecosystem in which policy is made. Participants engage in group activities designed to enhance professional skills needed for a variety of careers, including science policy. This hands-on experience culminates in a capstone communications assignment where students will apply the concepts learned throughout the course to develop a policy pitch.

 

Instructors:

Daniel Pomeroy, PhD
Pariroo Rattan

Offered: 

J-Term (January) 2023

This course provides an overview of science policy development and analysis, with a focus applying technical understanding to develop public policy that leads to more equitable outcomes. Participants will engage in interactive exercises that explore the salient ethical, political, legal and cultural issues in the development of science policy. The course culminates in a capstone communications assignment where students will apply the concepts learned throughout the course to develop an actionable policy proposal.

Instructors:

Daniel Pomeroy, PhD
Pariroo Rattan

Offered:

Spring 2023

The Governance & Ethics of Biotechnologyis a 3-module nanocourse series, developed in partnership with the Eli and Lilly Safra Center for Ethics.  Each nanocourse centers on an emerging biotechnology; gene drive technologies, lifespan extension, and neural interventions. STEM graduate students will be exposed to the complexity of ethical decision-making and to the many stakeholders that shape biotechnology design and regulation. Every module combines short pre-recorded lectures, ethical simulations, applied communication activities, and group discussions.

Instructors:

Natalie Kofler, PhD

Laura Ryan

Brian Palmiter

Offered:

This nanocourse series is not currently offered. You can check our free Online Learning Module on bioethical implications of CRISPR technology.