You are working on solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. But does the world know? Only by communicating your expertise effectively, will people and organizations truly value your work.

Over the month of January, we invite you to take part in an informative and engaging workshop series led by Let Science Connect – an organization committed to training future leaders with the required skills to make your knowledge accessible for the betterment of society, and in doing so, restore trust in the scientific process.

But what if I am not in a STEM-related field? Not to worry! All workshops are tailored to a broad audience of scholars, with key concepts applicable to a variety of contexts and disciplines. You will learn and practice presentation skills applicable to your upcoming talks or conference presentations, your thesis or dissertation defence, or even an upcoming networking or job opportunity – learn how to communicate your research in a way that is digestible and community-oriented.

Workshop Series Details:

When: Thursdays, January 16, 23 and 30, 2025 – 10:00-11:30am EST

Where: Online (via Zoom)

Registration Required: Zoom registration

While consistent participation is encouraged to build off key concepts and attributes, you are also welcome to choose individual sessions that most speak to you.

 

Facilitators

Prativa Baral, MPH, PhD

Prativa (she/her) is an epidemiologist, a global health consultant, and an expert in global health security, health systems resilience, and health emergencies, operating at the nexus of epidemiology, policy, and advocacy. She has consulted for the World Bank, the WHO, the UN, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Government of Canada and has been featured in various media outlets including CBC, CTV, the Gazette, the World Economic Forum, and Forbes. Prativa strongly believes in bridging science communication gaps between academia and the rest of the world and does so through various efforts, including as an Instructor in media communications of public health at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

Jasmine Mah, MD, MSc, PhD

Jasmine (she/her) is a physician and researcher who cares for older adults in Geriatric Medicine. Dr. Mah is a Canadian Medical Association Young Leader, recipient of the Association of Faculties of Medicine Learner Changemaker Award and winner of Dalhousie University’s Three-Minute Thesis. She has been featured in SaltWire, Conversation Canada, CBC, CTV and Global News. She straddles the worlds of clinical, academic, policy and not-for-profits, and firmly believes in equipping others with the knowledge and skills to succeed in advocating for their needs.

Michelle Liu, P.Eng, JD, MASc, LEED-GA

Michelle Liu (they/them) is a lawyer and Professional Engineer (P.Eng) working in law, technology, and policy spaces. As a Queer, non-binary, racialized, and neurodivergent person, Michelle’s focus across their undertakings is on using their subject matter knowledge and lived experience to influence individuals, organizations, and systems to advance social justice. Michelle’s speaking, activism, and policy advisory work has touched over 160 events, documents, and organizations. Michelle’s doctoral research, for which they received both the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship, uses sociolegal frameworks to understand the relationship between technological designs and the dominant norms in STEM sectors such as masculinity and meritocracy.

 

Session 1 – Foundations of Science Communications

Thursday, January 16 – 10:00-11:30am EST

In this workshop, we’ll introduce the basics of effective science communication and learn key principles and a framework for guiding any communication situation. Most importantly, we provide the experiential learning to practice essential communication skills!  Perfect for anyone looking to share their ideas more clearly and effectively.

Tangible outcomes you will gain from this session:

• Learn key principles and a framework for guiding any communication situation.
• Gain hands on experience through engaging exercises that not only refine your communication skills but also help you uncover and improve small quirks in your personal communication style.

Broader applications:
Learning the basics of effective research communication allows researchers in all areas to share complex ideas in accessible and engaging ways. By practicing the key principles in a supportive environment researchers will become more confident at adapting their message to different contexts and audiences, including academic settings, public outreach and professional environments.

 

Session 2 – Pitching your Research

Thursday, January 23 – 10:00-11:30am EST

This workshop teaches participants how to create pitches for research projects or ideas or even themselves using structures and templates. Through interactive activities, attendees will build confidence and enhance their “elevator pitch” skills by clearly defining and communicating their core message and value proposition to diverse audiences

Tangible outcomes you will gain from this session:

• Crafting compelling pitches for research projects or ideas.
• Learn to identify and communicate the core message and value proposition to diverse audiences.
• Develop confidence and skills in presenting pitches.

Broader applications:
Learning to craft a succinct, compelling pitch that coveys your core message to different audiences is a useful skill for researchers. Researchers in all fields will find the structures and templates useful in situations where there is a need to convey complex ideas clearly and concisely and particularly when communicating with potential collaborators, funders, and/or employers.

 

Session 3 – Media Training

Thursday, January 30 – 10:00-11:30am EST

Learn about the role of researchers in the media. This media training session focuses on developing skills needed to communicate confidently with journalists in traditional media sessions. We’ll practice key techniques for delivering key messages, managing uncertainty with challenging questions and maintaining control of the conversation to stay aligned with your research dissemination objectives.

Tangible outcomes you will gain from this session:

• Learn verbal and non-verbal techniques for effective and concise communication to the media.
• Practice delivering key messages clearly and engagingly.
• Discuss strategies for maintaining control of the conversation and redirecting back to key points.

Broader applications:
Learning to propel one’s research to reach different audiences is a useful skill for researchers in all areas and is applicable in a wide variety of settings. The concepts learned in this session can be applied to networking opportunities at conferences and to job interviews where one needs to make a good first impression explaining the significance of their work.