2013 Communicating Your Science Workshop Gallery and Feedback

Following on from the very successful Science Communication Workshop, please find photographs, comments and feedback about the event below

Background of the workshop:

An important part of science is getting your results and ideas across to others, through papers, presentations, theses, grant proposals, conversations and interviews. Your audience may include specialists in the field, those from other disciplines, industry, or the general public.

How can you best communicate your science?

This workshop brought together experts in different fields – writers, broadcasters, publishers, industrialists, computer scientists, and presenters – to help successful applicants explore and develop their communication skills.  Working together with others on the course attendees learnt how to structure presentations, develop writing skills, bridge disciplines and had hands-on experience of broadcasting.

The Genetics Society covered travel, accommodation and meals for successful applicants.

Tutors included:
Armand Leroi (author, broadcaster and professor of Evolutionary and Developmental Biology, Imperial College, London)
Chris Smith (broadcaster, medical doctor, lecturer in Virology, Cambridge University)
Rebecca Stott (novelist, historian and professor of English Literature and Creative Writing, University of East Anglia)
Ana Marques (expert in experimental and computational genomics, Oxford University.

Feedback from the Workshop:

It was a very varied workshop where we had the opportunity to learn a broad range of skills that we can now apply to most of the aspects of science communication. We had great speakers, and I learned a lot from them. Now I feel  very motivated to keep working on my science communication skills and maybe pursue a career in science communication after my PhD.
Alberto Lapedriza

I had an absolutely fantastic time at the workshop! From storytelling to making podcasts, the sessions were led by experts second to none. In  imaginative exercises, they pushed us to apply the fundamental principles straight away – I would have never thought we could learn and do so much in just three days! Everyone being very friendly and approachable, we were never short of fun and laughter either. Highly recommended!
Julia Steinberg

That workshop was definitely the best workshop I had attended and I would love to come again and again if only I wouldn’t be taking a place away from other people. Not only you learn a lot, you also meet wonderful people who are sharing the enthusiasm about science and talking about it. It reinforced in me the desire to go into the field of science communication as a profession and thanks to people who I met; I even have some clues how.
I would definitely recommend it to everyone, regardless of the fact if you want to stay in academia, go to industry or do something completely different. At some point, you will use some of the skills we have been taught. You learn how to tell a story, how to build a good presentation around a story, how to write, how to make podcasts, how to form interdisciplinary collaborations – it could be easily called a crash-course in surviving in science.
Karolina Mirowska

The Communicating Your Science workshop from the Genetics Society is a thoroughly enjoyable exploration of the myriad ways to tell our stories, taking every day lab work out into the public, among peers and to funding councils. Joined by like-minded individuals, the course nurtures and develops communications skills, and gleefully puts you into the deep end with less familiar, more glamorous media. Highly recommended.
Simon Bishop

I greatly enjoyed this workshop not only for the practical approaches to improving science communication but it provided a rare opportunity to actually communicate with fellow researchers in varied areas of science. There were approximately 20 people at the workshop and after two days I knew everyone’s name. A very enjoyable and memorable experience.
Harriet Johnson

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and believe that not only have I gained more confidence in communicating with various audiences, I have learnt more about my future career prospects from having the opportunity to talk with such renowned scientists  and presenters. It was especially great to have the presenters, Dominique and Enrico sit with us, delegates, during meals, creating an inviting atmosphere to stimulate discussion. It’s been extremely rewarding and I hope future students will receive this opportunity next year.
Sherly Li

A very stimulating and engaging three day programme giving both conceptual and hands-on experience in communicating your science, with passionate and inspiring tutors. The non-conventional style of the sessions meant the whole programme was challenging and led to an open platform for debate between all, students and tutors.
Luiz Guidi

I had a really good time and came back really inspired to apply some of the skills and knowledge that I have learned about to my own research. The workshop taught me to think about the way I communicate my research in new ways, and was certainly the most interesting and useful course of its kind that I have been on.
Lin Taylor

Being able to communicate science in a clear concise manner, and explain complex concepts in a way that even the non-scientist can understand is actually very difficult and an acquired skill. This workshop was invaluable for me, challenging and teaching me how to more effectively communicate in various forms. I feel I came away from this workshop more informed, more confident, and more enthusiastic about communicating science
Jenny Armstrong

This was an excellent and very interactive workshop.  I feel much equipped for communicating my science to a variety of audiences and had great fun!
Claire Lye

The Communicating Your Science workshop was a fantastic way to gain a better understanding of issues surrounding scientific communication. I felt that I gained a number of new and useful skills, as well as meeting lots of new people and having fun in the process.
Jeremy Solly

This was a brilliant course covering many different ways to communicate my science with others. The enthusiasm and encouragement of those running the course was infectious and has really grown my skills and confidence.
Sarah Trinder

Scientists can face a number of problems with communication, whether it’s getting nervous when giving presentations, speaking in a technical scientific language that no-one else understands or that we are not really sure what grammar is or how to use it! The workshop took a hands-on approach to communication skills, covering everything from writing skills, communicating your science through storytelling, to producing your own radio show. A fast paced and full-on workshop and a lot of fun!
Sarah Pressey

Fantastic workshop on communication skills. Wonderful location and great people. I learnt things I would have never imagined. Thanks to the Genetics Society and all who have been there!
Marco Reitz

The workshop covered various mediums of science communication and offered a fresh perspective on science communication. I learnt new skills which will benefit my ability to effectively communicate my science to various audiences. The sessions were fun and informative and the guest speakers and course organisers were experienced and enthusiastic. For me the highlight of the workshop was the opportunity to meet like minded scientists from diverse backgrounds.
Becky Bibby

This was a fantastic workshop to explore science communication from many different angles, providing highly useful insights into this important subject.
Frank Wesley