Not everyone accepts this broader definition of scholarship, nor does everyone ascribe the same importance to each of the four scholarships. That is unfortunate, because it inhibits both faculty and students from participating more enthusiastically and effectively in those aspects of scholarship that generate less kudos. What can we do about this, short of brainwashing recalcitrant colleagues?

One approach is to be more proactive about collaborating with those involved in traditional research. Successful collaborations on important projects is far more likely to generate acceptance for non-traditional scholarship than are exhortation or castigation. The impetus toward such collaborations has recently increased, because federal funding agencies require that successful proposals must include a clear statement of the broader impacts of the studies proposed (4). Most of us are in excellent positions to collaborate on many types of activities that involve broader impacts, and many of our colleagues who have less knowledge of outreach, pre-college education, or chemical education research can make effective use of our knowledge.

Here are some activities listed by the NSF as examples of broader impact (4).

Participate in the recruitment, training, and/or professional development of K–12 science and math teachers. Develop, adopt, adapt or disseminate effective models and pedagogic approaches to science, mathematics and engineering teaching. Establish research and education collaborations with students and/or faculty who are members of underrepresented groups. Participate in developing new approaches (e.g., use of information technology and connectivity) to engage underserved individuals, groups, and communities in science and engineering. Partner with museums, nature centers, science centers, and similar institutions to develop exhibits in science, math, and engineering. Make data available in a timely manner by means of data bases, digital libraries, or other venues such as CD-ROMs. Integrate research with education activities in order to communicate in a broader context. Analyze, interpret, and synthesize research and education results in formats understandable and useful for non-scientists.

There are many more. I expect that readers could easily expand NSF’s list significantly.

Here is a great opportunity for collaborations to develop between those in traditional research and those in chemical education. I have personally been involved in several such collaborations. They are useful for me and for other (usually much younger) faculty. In some cases graduate students are working on projects that combine traditional research with chemical education activities. These students have an opportunity to follow their interest in chemical education as well as in traditional research. In the future they will be much more likely to participate in such collaborations themselves. I encourage you to offer to collaborate (on an equal basis) with colleagues who are looking for good ways to incorporate broader impacts into their professional efforts. This is a win–win situation. Let’s take advantage of it.

Literature Cited

1. ACS Office of Legislative and Government Affairs, Statement on Scholarship, 2007 (accessed Sept 2007).
2. Boyer, Ernest L. Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate; Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching: Princeton, NJ, 1990. Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduates in the Research University. Reinventing Undergraduate Education: A Blueprint for Research Universities; State University of New York at Stony Brook: Stony Brook, NY, 1998 (accessed Sept 2007).
3. Moore, J. W. J. Chem. Educ. 1997, 74, 741; Moore, J. W. J. Chem. Educ. 1998, 75, 935; Moore, J. W. J. Chem. Educ. 2000, 77, 1383. Russell, A. A.; Pavelich, M. J. J. Chem. Educ. 1996, 73, A268.
4. March, Peter. Broader Impacts Review Criterion; National Science Foundation, August 2007 (accessed Sept 2007); National Science Foundation. Merit Review Broader Impacts Criterion: Representative Activities July 2007 (accessed Sept 2007).