Conference addresses telling the story of your research

Are you a faculty member or student looking for guidance on how to communicate your research more effectively with non-academic audiences such as the news media, schoolchildren and the general public?

If your answer is “yes”—or even if it’s “maybe”—there’s a conference taking place at UVic this spring that will interest you.

At the How to Talk About Science conference, May 25–27, scientists and seasoned science communicators will share their experiences in the dos and don’ts of research communications over two days of panel discussions and interactive breakout sessions.

“We’re saying ‘science’ but the same principles can apply to all disciplines,” stresses conference organizer Dr. Paul Zehr, a UVic neuroscientist and director of the Centre for Biomedical Research.

The main goal of the conference, says Zehr, is to reduce the “fear factor” that deters many academics from communicating their research to general audiences.

“I think a large number of faculty and grad students do want to talk about their work, but don’t know how to do it,” he says. “This conference is about building that skill set and showing them that science outreach is not as daunting as it seems.”

The conference is structured into three non-competing tracks, each dealing with a key target audience—the news media, K–12, and the general public.

Keynote presenters will include veteran science journalist Bob McDonald, host of CBC’s Quirks and Quarks, on his experiences interviewing scientists; Bonnie Schmidt, national president of Let’s Talk Science, on how to talk to kids about science; and Zehr on engaging the public in science.

Panel sessions will feature experienced communicators who will briefly describe what they do, why they do it and what they’ve learned (including what not to do). Themed breakout sessions will follow where smaller groups can have more in-depth discussions on a given topic.

“It will not be just people talking at you,” says Zehr. “It’s about getting you to think about what these different audiences need to hear, and what methods and language you can use to get your message across.”

As far as Zehr can tell, this is the first time such a conference has been held in Canada. That’s likely one reason why it’s attracting participants from as far away as Ontario and several US states.

Established and junior faculty members at UVic or elsewhere are encouraged to attend (fee $175), as are postdocs, grad students and undergraduates (fee $100). More information: http://cbr.uvic.ca/conferences