# Adapting and Scaling the Biotinkering Approach through a CoP Model

> **NIH NIH R25** · TECH MUSEUM OF INNOVATION · 2023 · $267,416

## Abstract

Project Summary and Abstract
 Despite the rapidly advancing landscape of modern biology, the majority of experiences that K-12
learners have with biology are still rooted in traditional procedural and prescriptive approaches. There is a
critical need to engage students in a more 21st century approach to biology – one that emphasizes
open-ended exploration and creativity as key elements of scientific practice. Over the last five years as part of
our previous SEPA award, we have developed an award-winning approach to informal biology education,
biotinkering, that authentically engages young people with science as a personally relevant and creative
process by supporting learner agency and choice. Our project, Adapting and Scaling the Biotinkering Approach
through a Community of Practice (CoP) Model, aims to empower other informal science institutions to
participate in and co-author the future of biotinkering with us. To be thoughtful about ensuring that our
burgeoning approach can meaningfully contribute to bringing more diverse perspectives into STEM fields, our
proposed CoP centers community and co-design. Community relationships at each participating site will be
integrated throughout the project to help build a foundation for biotinkering that is more inclusive and culturally
relevant, especially for marginalized communities.
 To reach our desired impact, we have the following 3 aims. First, we will establish a thriving Biotinkering
Community of Practice to support diverse practitioners in gaining confidence with doing biotinkering in their
own contexts. By using a CoP model to do institutional capacity building, we can create lasting impact on the
field by building a dispersed network of biotinkering hubs equipped to provide ongoing support and mentorship
to other practitioners. Second, all four founding members of our Biotinkering CoP will develop culturally
relevant biotinkering activities, co-designed with local communities, to generate a more diverse repertoire of
experiences for varied audiences and environments. This will result in hands-on biotinkering experiences being
implemented around the nation, reaching tens of thousands of young people and providing learners with
pathways to develop stronger STEM identities. And third, we will identify strategies and promising practices
that can be used by practitioners to adopt biotinkering as an inclusive approach that centers community voices.
Our new community and inclusion-focused resources, forged from diverse community perspectives and
co-design learnings, will better support the adaptation of biotinkering to diverse situations and contexts, making
it easier to further scale this work to additional informal learning sites and new communities.
 This approach can generate the types of informal learning experiences society needs to serve as
inspirational entry points for a more diverse next generation of biotech and biomedical innovators. Lessons
learned from the successes and challenges of th...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10666229
- **Project number:** 1R25GM150184-01
- **Recipient organization:** TECH MUSEUM OF INNOVATION
- **Principal Investigator:** Caitlin Nealon
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $267,416
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-07-01 → 2028-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10666229

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10666229, Adapting and Scaling the Biotinkering Approach through a CoP Model (1R25GM150184-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10666229. Licensed CC0.

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