Research communication and outreach: Making complex ideas engaging and accessible [St Lucia]
This workshop will help HDR students and early career researchers communicate their research clearly, confidently, and with impact to broader audiences. Participants will learn practical ways to explain complex ideas clearly, identify and reduce jargon, and use storytelling elements to make their research more engaging. The workshop will also explore how to adapt messages for different audiences, including the media, stakeholders, and other non-specialist groups, while communicating complex research without oversimplifying it.
Effective communication can enable researchers to inform policy, practice, and the broader community. Knowing when and how to communicate research and how to do so accessibly is essential for creating meaningful impact. This workshop aims to equip HDR students and early career researchers with the skills to become confident communicators and make meaningful contributions beyond academia.
By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
• Explain complex research clearly to non-specialist audiences without losing important nuance
• Adapt research messages for different audiences and settings
• Evaluate and revise research communication to reduce jargon and other barriers to accessibility and inclusion
• Use narrative and engagement techniques to support audience understanding, retention, and impact.
Presenter
Mehershad Wadia is a neuroscientist at Queensland Brain Institute with a passion for making science engaging and accessible to diverse audiences. He has communicated science through national radio, podcasts and events including Pint of Science, Creative Brain Week, BrisScience, Brisbane Comedy Festival, and Falling Walls Lab. He has also written a children’s book about viruses & vaccines, participated in outreach programs like Australian Brain Bee and WOS Flying Scientist, delivered science communication workshops to students, and presented research to donors, stakeholders and the media.
About Communication
Learning to communicate effectively is critical to your ability to transfer your knowledge and research, build relationships, and gain employment. As you progress in your career these skills will become more important. The ability to master verbal, non-verbal, interpersonal, and written communication will allow you to communicate with clarity and influence. ‘Effective communication’ also appears in almost every job advertisement as a skill required by employers.
Useful links
- Linked In courses (access via UQ Library login)
- Effective Communication, Better Science blog
- The Good Presentation Video: This video aims to help doctoral students (and others) improve their presentation skills. Good presentation skills are essential for students while undertaking a PhD, and in their future careers, whether in academia or elsewhere.