DATE2023.09.25 #News from Academic Affairs

How to explain your science to a lay audience "Media and communications training workshops"

How to explain your science to a lay audience

Media and communications training workshops organized by the Office of Research Strategy and Development.

Do you struggle to explain your paper in simple words a lay audience can understand? Do you know how to provide your quotes for a press release on your new paper? Does talking to a journalist sound daunting to you? Do you have an elevator pitch for your next conference? Whether you have a paper or not, these skills will benefit you.

In these workshops, you will learn how to communicate your science to the media and the public. With practical tips, examples, and activities, you will learn from an experienced public information officer (with research background). We will help you tell your story and drive impact for your research.

1. Date & Time:  October 11, 18, 25 and November 1, 2023. 10:00 to 11:30 am
2. Venue: Room 381, Science building 1 (East).
3. Target Audience: Students and faculty of the School of Science. We highly encourage grad students, postdocs, and early career researchers to make use of this training. Please note that the event will be in English.
4. Limit: 10 people. It is FREE, but pre-registration is required to participate. If more people register, we consider the first 10 people who register, and create a waitlist for others.
5. Outline of the event: 
   Oct 11, (10-11:30 am): Create an elevator pitch for your research.
   Oct 18, (10-11:30 am): How to use social media as a researcher.
   Oct 25, (10-11:30 am): Working with the media: understand what’s newsworthy, use analogies, and provide useful quotes for journalists (and press releases).
   Nov 1, (10-11:30 am): Presenting your research to lay audiences (know your audience, use narrative storytelling)
   Speaker: Dr. Ravindra Palavalli-Nettimi, Office of Research Strategy and Development.

How to apply

Please register here: https://forms.gle/EqggcYSPpQeHfLWt6

Application deadline: Oct 6, 2023 (4 pm)

Deliverables: By the end of the workshop, each participant will produce a short elevator pitch, which they can use at conference networking. They will learn to create social media posts and use SNS for career development. They can also pitch their research as an article for popular science outlets such as the Conversation.

For queries, please contact <orsd.s@gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp>