Science figured out: workshop 'pitching your research' + video recordings - 2024

Did you know that, along with you, nearly 10.000 junior researchers are conducting a doctoral study in Flanders at the moment? While these researchers find their way to colleagues in academia through scientific publications and conferences, only a small amount is brought under the attention of the general public.

Enter the “Science figured out”-project. Through this project Scimingo, organiser of the yearly PhD Cup, wants to teach you how to get non-experts excited about your research and help you to convey insights of the (post)doctoral research you are (or have been) working on for years to the general public! Not through an academic lecture, but told as a compelling and comprehensible story for non-peers. A daylong workshop on presentation techniques will help you rise up to the challenge: explain the core of your PhD research in a clear and convincing pitch.

The “PhD pitch” of the best 8 participants will be recorded and published online. Video recordings will take place ca. three weeks after the workshop, allowing the selected researchers to develop and tweak their presentation. Each participant will receive a copy of the book “The Floor is Yours”.

A. VIDEO COURSE + ONLINE WORKSHOP “Pitching your research” by The Floor is Yours

At first participants follow an online video course on how to pitch their research, consisting of theory, practical exercises and inspiring cases. This course will guide the participants in developing a first pitch about their research. 

The participants will present their pitch live during the hands-on workshop, after which they will receive immediate feedback from both the coach and their colleagues. They will use this to further improve their pitch during the workshop. At the end of the workshop the
reworked pitch will again be presented and discussed.

The workshop covers the following topics:

• Structure: how should I build up my pitch? What is the difference between a formal and informal pitch?
• Attention: how can I make my pitch interesting for my audience?
• Simple: how can I simplify a complex story for my audience to understand?
• Body language and voice: how can I best use these to make my message come across?
• Camera: how am I to act in front of a camera?
• Objects & illustrations: should I use pictures, illustrations or objects to draw people’s attention?

A combination of theory, practical exercises and inspiring cases will be used. We will be using research examples from the participants themselves, which we will have requested beforehand and have incorporated in the workshop. The participants will present their own research during this workshop.

B. THE RECORDINGS “Science figured out” by Slash 9

After the workshop “Pitching your research” all participants will be asked to further develop their pitch. 8 researchers will then be selected for the Science Figured Out video recordings. If you’re chosen, you’ll be given 3 to 4 weeks to work on your presentation before pitching in front of the camera. During this time, we will follow up on your pitch and provide you with the necessary feedback in order to get you well prepared for the recordings. You will be free to choose whether you wish to pitch in English or Dutch – the final video will have both English and Dutch subtitles available. Recordings will take place at your university and will be carried out by Slash 9. The videos will be published on the “Science figured out”-website and social media channels.

Learning outcomes

After attending the workshop, participants will be able to...

• better align their message with their target group,
• explain their research to a layperson concisely, clearly and convincingly,
• present better thanks to concrete tips.

After recording, participants should:

• know how to behave in front of a camera,
• have more confidence to stand in front of a camera.

Competences

An important part of preparing for any further professional step is becoming (more) aware of the competences you have developed and/or want to develop. In the current workshop, the following competences from the UHasselt competency overview are actively dealt with:

• interpersonal competences:
  • oral communication
  • persuasion
  • presentation skills
• intellectual competences:
  • creativity
• personal effectiveness:
  • self-confidence
  • stress management
    
    

For whom?

• Workshop “Pitching your research”: 12 PhD students/postdocs
• Recordings “Science figured out”: 8 selected researchers

When and where?

• Workshop "Pitching your research": May 02, 2024, 09:30-12:30 OR 13:30-16:30  - campus Hasselt, Old Prison, room D1.1 (yellow room)
• Recordings "Science figured out": June 05, 2024, 1 ½ hour between 09:30-16:30 - campus Hasselt, Old Prison, room AUD1 Verhaegen

Registration?

• Registration is closed since March 27, 2024.
• As places are limited, registering does not automatically imply that you will be able to participate. You will be notified by email after the registration deadline has passed.
• Please cancel your registration at least one week in advance in case you cannot make it (cf. cancellation & no-show policy).

Acknowledged as?

• DS BSH: category 'research management & communication skills' - workshop aimed at developing ​communication skills
• DS HLS: category 'transferable skills' - half of one compulsory elective course
• DS ST: category 'scientific & generic communication' - course about generic communication