North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will expand staffing and make programs more accessible and audience-focused in its Nature Research Center. Since opening, the Center has hosted 1.4 million visitors in a seven-month period, providing authentic research projects, scientific exercises, and other hands-on activities. To support this high volume while allowing visitors to experience science in action, the museum will hire a part-time Lab Outreach Coordinator for the Microbiology and Genomics lab, a part-time Educator for its Investigate Labs, and a part-time Curator of Veterinary Services for the Window on Animal Health. The museum will assess the impact of greater scientist-visitor interaction on public understanding and engagement with science. The project will also expand efforts to bring underserved K-12 students to the museum in support of the museum’s mission to engage the public with science that affects their daily lives. IMLS funding will provide interim support until the museum can incorporate increased staffing costs into its annual operating budget.