Training for Researchers

Training available to help you find out more about public engagement and develop your skills

We have a number of training courses available to help you learn about and develop your public engagement skills. Unless otherwise stated these courses are available to all DPhil students and researchers.

The programme for the 2017-18 will be available in early August.

Introduction to Public Engagement

An introduction for those looking to get started in public engagement with research covering the basics of what it is, how to get started and a chance to be inspired by those already doing it. You will also have the chance to start developing your own plans, get feedback and get pointers to further support and information.

Narrative Skills and Storytelling

This course will help you develop an understanding of what makes a great narrative or story for different non-academic audiences. Our innovative approach involves collaboration and conversations with peers in other disciplines to aid the development of your communication skills. You will also have the opportunity to apply narrative and storytelling approaches to create and present your own compelling research story and get feedback.

Podcast Your Research

From inception to publication; this practical session will take you on a tour through the basics of how to share your research in an engaging manner through podcasting. Through practical exercises the session will introduce approaches to podcasting and some of the basic technical skills of recording, editing and publishing audio files. By the end of the session you will have had the opportunity to create a draft pilot episode, so come prepared with ideas.

The Lifecycle of a Story: from Inspiration to Telling

- Discover what elements of storytelling and narrative can be used to enhance a profession in the sciences.
- Craft compelling and moving stories from your experiences as a scientist using these key story elements: character, conflict, structure, metaphor and description.
- Applythese storytelling and narrative skills to working in the sciences: communicating research to a range of audiences (including publics, media and funding bodies); enhancing presentation skills for lectures and seminars; telling scientific stories across a range of media.

Robert Holtom is a professional storyteller and consultant who has worked with a range of organisations to help them refine and hone their stories for a variety of audiences.

Using Dialogue and Debate to Engage Public Audiences

This introductory session will introduce you to the what, why and how of turning your engagement into a rich, two-way conversation with your public audiences; dialogue and debate are valuable approaches to moving beyond communication to involve and consult wider publics in the research process. The session will highlight examples, provide practical tips and provide the opportunity for you to start to develop your own ideas and plans.

One-to-one mentoring

Do you have an idea you'd like to develop or get funding for? Need advice or a sounding board for a new project? Not sure what to do about your Pathways to Impacts? If you'd like some help with anything public engagement related, Michaela Livingstone (Public Engagement Facilitator) holds open office hours on Tuesday afternoons, 2-3.30pm, at 9 Parks Road. Just email to arrange a time to suit.

Training from around the University

There's a range of training opportunities and resources available across the University, visit the University support pages to find out more.