Science Communication 2-Day Boot Camp
January 22 & 23 @ 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM PT
This is a two-day virtual bootcamp (January 22 and 23) with optional small group coaching sessions (offered on January 29 and 30). The bootcamp is intended for students, post-docs, faculty, and researchers working both in academia and industry. On Day 1 of the bootcamp, you will learn the basics to data storytelling-- how to talk about you research in a compelling and clear way. On Day 2 we will train you in how to tell your own Research Origin Story-- how to brand yourself as a researcher and share a memorable and authentic story about your origins in science. During the optional small group coaching sessions, we will provide specific and indivualized feedback on presentations to further support individuals who may be preparing for a conference, job talk, or speaking engagement. Detailed information on each day's training is below the enrollment buttons.
Tiered Pricing
Enrollment in the bootcamp is on a tiered pricing scale. The value of this training is $475. However, we know that people have differing abilities to pay at that level. We have created a pricing scale to allow for financial support for students, faculty, and post-docs to enroll in this training. You may enroll at the level that describes your current situation by clicking on the options below.
We offer a few fellowship seats for each workshop/training. If you would like to apply for a fee-waived fellowship, you can apply here.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRAINING
Day 1: Data Storytelling Workshop (2.5 hours)
January 22 @ 1:00 - 3:30 PM PT (note your timezone)
How do you make a research presentation compelling? One of the biggest secrets in science communication is this: the same narrative strategies that Hollywood uses for creating compelling movies are those that we should be using to talk about our research findings. In this 2.5-hour workshop, participants experience demos of research presentations told with and without storytelling components and then discuss how a story format pushes the audience’s thinking forward about the research. Workshop instructor, Dr. Lisa Cantrell—a seasoned science communicator and storyteller— then pulls back the curtain to reveal the components of good stories (tension, stakes, and a pivotal moment) and how those components can be infused into any research presentation. She then gives participants step-by-step guidance on how to turn their own research into a data story and gives instructions on use of graphs and figures. Participants will have the opportunity to practice sharing their data story in small groups and by the end of the session, participants will have a draft of their own research data story and a method for turning their future studies into data stories for presentations at conferences, job talks, and speaking engagements.
Day 2: Research Origin Story Workshop (2.5 hours)
January 23 @ 1:00 - 3:30 PM PT (note your timezone)
One of the most “asked” questions at job talks and conferences is this: “What do you study and how did you get into it?” We have heard the gamut of responses, ranging from “I just fell into it I guess!” to long rambling too-much-information essays that make a listener zone out. How do you explain what you do and why you do it in a succinct and compelling way that engages listeners and sparks interest? In this 2.5 hour workshop, participants are guided through prompts and activities to help them develop their own authentic and compelling research origin story—one that is memorable and unique and tells the story of how they got into the research they do and why. By the end of the session, participants will have a 3-minute version of their story as well as a 1-minute version.
Small Group Coaching Sessions (Optional)
After the bootcamp, you have the option of signing up for additional small-group coaching sessions. The coaching sessions are intended to give participants individualized support from the experts to support them in further honing their presentations and stories. The sessions are for anyone but intended for those who might be preparing for a job talk, interview, conference, or speaking engagement. You will have the option of adding on this session at check-out. The price for each coaching session depends on your financial tier but ranges between $75-$120 per session.
Additional Coaching Session for Data Storytelling - January 29 @ 1-3 PM PT (note your timezone)
Additional Coaching Session for Research Origin Story - January 30 @ 1-3 PM PT (note your timezone)
About the Facilitators
Dr. Lisa Cantrell holds a PhD in psychology and is an associate professor at Sacramento State. She has spent over a decade in scientific research and has worked in science journalism, writing and producing stories for KQED in San Francisco, Spectrum in New York, and for her own science podcast featured in Science Magazine, An InExact Science. She has worked with scientists who have shared their research through Nat Geo, Discovery, and the Smithsonian. Cantrell is the founder and executive director of Capital Storytelling—a non-profit in Sacramento with the mission of connecting people through narrative— and the founding consultant at Stories of Science. She regularly consults for businesses, non-profits, and government agencies across the U.S. You can find out more at her website: lisamcantrell.com
Dr. Tamara Spence is a neuroscientist who received her PhD from Wake Forest University in 2014. She jokingly likes to tell clients that she has a doctorate in "worry"-- which is not too far from the truth: her expertise is in the neurobiology of anxiety. The path to obtaining her PhD was filled with various “plot twists” that helped her learn the importance of being adaptable and flexible. During the many hours she spent in the basement laboratory at Wake Forest (which is great for collecting clean psychophysiological data and less great for seeing sunlight during winter), she discovered that she had a special talent for breaking equipment... and then fixing it. Her experience troubleshooting technical issues not only made her a die-hard optimist and problem-solver, it also led her to develop a deep compassion for scientists who were stuck when things didn’t go as planned. After earning her degree, she spent nearly a decade working at a cutting-edge market-leading neurotech company where she trained researchers across the US and Europe. Currently, Tamara uses her understanding of research and storytelling to help bridge the gap between science and the public. She has helped train hundreds of individuals in narrative at Capital Storytelling and now through the Stories of Science Institute.
