SJMC professor of practice, Jeff Grisamore has been awarded a National Science Foundation grant to advance public knowledge and understanding of biotechnology and biomanufacturing in Iowa and at The University of Iowa. Grisamore will be working closely with University of Iowa scientists as well as interested parties throughout the State.

This is the first time the NSF will be awarding grant money to efforts centered around supporting communication of both biotechnology and biomanufacturing.

“So these grants in the past were just focused on science and rightly so, like what happens on the other side of the river, but with this grant, they opened it up, because what they're trying to do is make people aware of biotechnology and biomanufacturing in Iowa, and more importantly, the impacts of both on our society and state,” Grisamore said.

The University of Iowa Office of Innovation contacted Grisamore to see if he would be interested in having them as a client for his content marketing class. Grisamore’s previous content marketing classes have worked with SJMC professor, Travis Vogan, The Iowa Conservatory, Higher Learning Technologies as well as several other University of Iowa clients, each producing deliverables with the goal of raising awareness of their respective works.

Using the NSF grant, Grisamore’s Spring 2025 content marketing class will be producing a social and content marketing campaign to help the public’s understanding of biomanufacturing and related research occurring in the State of Iowa. Students will produce a series of podcast episodes, an explainer/anthem video, a social media campaign and a newsletter.

Grisamore said collaborations like these between the arts and sciences is essential to the SJMC, as currently there are not many science communication classes offered.  

“I think that this is a unique opportunity for all of us, me included, to learn about science and to be able to strategically communicate science concepts to the general public,” Grisamore said.  

While he is aware that it will be a challenge to learn about a whole new world, Grisamore is excited to work with Iowa scientists and have his students receive hands on learning experiences.  

“This is opening a new chapter for us in within the framework of science communication and science writing,” Grisamore said, and it’s a really big opportunity for our students, all of whom seem very invested and interested in this opportunity.” 

While Grisamore’s class will be the first to utilize the grant, he hopes other SJMC courses are born of this collaboration.