We offer a range of training in media, communication, engagement and presentations for all researchers from early-career to research leaders:
- Media and communication workshops – gives you the skills and knowledge you need to maximise the communication of your research outcomes.
- Forums – can be customised to cover meeting the media and stakeholders, pitching, social media, and more
- Short workshops – such as ‘make your pitch/presentation’ or ‘develop your online profile’
- One-on-one coaching – we can help you with talking to media, presentations, speeches, building your profile and more.
To book a forum, short workshop or one-on-one coaching, please contact us.
We’d love to help you build your skills and confidence.
Some recent feedback:
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Read more about our training on offer below.
Media and communication training
Practice interviews. Develop key messages. Prep for tricky questions. Ensure your research is reported accurately.
Our media and communication masterclass will help you find the story in your research and learn how to achieve media coverage that is true to your science AND engages your audience.
This workshop is over one full day on-site, or can be modified for online delivery over two half days.
Working journalists from television, print and radio join us to explain what makes news for them. You will get the chance to ask questions and to be interviewed by journalists, get feedback and practical advice.
Our media training stands apart from most corporate training which tends to be adversarial. We focus on making the scientist and their work shine for the media and their stakeholders.
We also help you work out how to stay out of trouble and deal with tricky questions. But mostly we focus on helping you tell a good story, free of jargon and complexity.
The course covers: television (with practice interviews); radio (with practice interviews); handling tricky questions and staying out of trouble; print and online media; developing your communication plan; social media and becoming an ‘expert’.
Forums
90-minute moderated discussions with Q&A where we bring your audience to you. These are currently delivered online for up to 100 participants.
- Meet the press
Guests include three working journalists from TV news, print/online and radio who discuss what they do, and what they’re looking for in stories.
- Talking to stakeholders
Panellists include journalists, ministerial advisers, business/innovation gurus, patient advocates, and/or social media experts—to get researchers thinking about how and why to talk with the media and other stakeholders.
- Should you be on social?
Should you be on social media? Hear from researchers who have built strong social media profiles. Find out how and why they started and what they’ve learnt along the way.
Short workshops
These can be stand-alone or run back-to-back with one of the forums above with a short break in between.
- Make your pitch/presentation
What makes a good pitch or presentation, write one, present it and receive feedback.
- Develop your online profile
Walk through the steps to develop a personal profile: covering websites, Twitter accounts, Facebook profiles, and other platforms. Covering why you might want a higher profile, who are your communities of interest, sharing content, and keeping out of trouble.
One-on-one mentoring and training
Know what you want and want it now? Book in for a 90-minute individual session with a science communication guru.
- Media training
Develop and practice your story, so you are ready for media interviews for your next discovery.
- Presentation training
Develop and refine an important presentation to stakeholders.
- Communication planning for your research
Develop a short communication plan for your research, which will help you focus your efforts on the stakeholders and audiences that you need to reach for your research to have impact.
- Build your online profile
Build a plan for your personal profile: covering why you might want a profile, who are your communities of interest, sharing content, keeping out of trouble, and choosing the right platforms: websites, Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms.
- Build your profile through prizes and expert comment
Get some help identifying prizes you might apply for now and in the future and we’ll introduce you to ways you can become an expert commentator.
Presenters
The courses will be presented by one of the following:
- Sarah Brooker, Managing Director: Sarah has over twenty years’ experience in science communication including creating the Gene Technology Information Service for the Australian government’s industry department.
- Niall Byrne, Creative Director: Niall managed communication for CSIRO’s high security Animal Health Laboratory for nine years before establishing Science in Public with Sarah.
- Tanya Ha, Engagement Director: Tanya is an environmental communicator. She’s worked with Planet Ark, as a reporter for ABC Catalyst, serves on several boards, and is Vice President of Science & Technology Australia.
- Maddy De Gabriele is a science writer and communications manager at Science in Public. Previously she worked as a senior reporter for Zoos Victoria, The Conversation and has fact-checked state elections.
Our capability
We’ve been training researchers for over a decade in media, communication and pitching skills. Recent highlights include:
- 19 media and communication workshops in 2018 catering for about 200 people from over forty organisations including CSIRO, James Cook University, Macquarie University, Centres of Excellence, CRCs, government agencies and NGOs, including the Tobacco Free Portfolios organisation led by Bronwyn King.
- Pitch, presentation and media training for over 600 Defence Science Technology staff.
- Pitch and presentation training for over 50 methodological statisticians at the Australian Bureau of Statistics.