Everything you don´t learn in the lab
Presentation skills for scientists
Topic area
Science communication
Format
Online or in-house workshop
Workload
Online: 4 x 2.5 h-webinars plus self-paced work on our learning platform
In-house: 2 workshop days
Trainer
Karin Bodewits or Philipp Gramlich
Target group
PhD students and postdocs
In Brief
Learn how to select and structure your content, craft a clear core message, engage your audience, and receive individual feedback on your presentation.
Description
Whether presenting at a conference, defending their PhD thesis, or explaining their research in an interdisciplinary meeting, scientists face the same challenge: turning complex research into an engaging presentation. Impressive results alone do not make for a good scientific talk.
Present your research clearly and confidently
Scientists have to select, structure and communicate complex information for a specific audience. Preparing a presentation is much more than making good science understandable and visually appealing. A strong scientific presentation needs a clear core message and a coherent structure to turn your research into an engaging story. You’ll also benefit from this process: deciding what your audience really needs to know often helps you think more clearly about your own research.
Practice your scientific presentation
The real test of a scientific presentation happens in front of an audience. Of course, we’ll learn some theory about stage fright, rhetoric and audience engagement, but that is just the basis for the finale: In this workshop, you’ll have the chance to present your research to the group, receive individual feedback and practise handling a live Q&A session.
In this workshop, you’ll learn about:
• Audience and setting: Who are you speaking to, what do they need to know – and what can you leave out?
• Structure and core message: How to turn your research into a coherent scientific presentation.
• Adapting complex research to different audiences.
• Storytelling: From an engaging opening to a memorable conclusion.
• Slide design: Visual support, not decoration.
• Presenting online: How not to speak to a wall of switched-off cameras.
• Stage fright: How to make the adrenaline work for you.
• Voice, body language and delivery.
• Audience engagement: Turning listeners into participants.
• Handling questions and difficult Q&A situations.
• Practice and feedback: Present your own research and receive feedback from the in-structor and peers.
Workshop materials
Online: During and after the webinar phase, participants have three weeks to dive deeper into the course material on the learning platform and receive individual feedback from the course instructor.
In-house: All participants receive a PDF script of the course, allowing them to revise the material at their convenience.
More information and next steps
This workshop can be combined with Scientific posters: design and pitching and Self-presentation and networking to give the integrated 3-5 day programme At the conference.
Want to dive deeper into storytelling? Take a look at our workshop Storytelling and science communication.
Looking for a shorter format? Pitch your science is an interactive talk on explaining your research briefly and engagingly to different audiences.
Already interested in learning more about the workshop content? Then read our career column about the Core of your presentation.
Do you want to see a preview of the Online Workshop?