Announcing the UoM Cardiometabolic PhD Program
We are excited to announce the launch of the Cardiometabolic PhD Program at the University of Melbourne.
Starting in August, we will roll out:
1) a series of half-day research writing and communications workshops, and
2) a series of student-led events and talks.
The program is free and open to PhD students across MDHS (including the Melbourne Medical School, School of Biomedical Science, and the School of Population and Global Health), as well as interested students from other UoM faculties and associated hospitals.
To sign up for the program, click below or email Idan at Idan.BenBarak@unimelb.edu.au.Register for the UoM Cardiometabolic PhD Program
Our research communications workshops will be delivered by Dr Simon Clews. Simon is an Honorary Senior Fellow at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, where he advises on communication and engagement. Prior to this, for fifteen years he was the Director of the Melbourne Engagement Lab at Melbourne University, enhancing its reputation through training, encouraging and facilitating some of Australia’s brightest minds to make their work accessible to non-academic audiences. Before that, he was the director of the Melbourne Writers’ Festival.
Workshop schedule:
Becoming an Engaged Researcher
Thursday, August 25, 10am-2pm (Level 7 Baker tower, plus live streaming)
This introductory session is an overall look at communication and awareness-raising for PhDs and Early Career Researchers, including why we do it and what a typical engagement trajectory might look like. It forms the background to all the subsequent more targeted sessions and sets out a road map for becoming what the media like to call ‘good talent.’ Participants will get an idea of how to put together and deliver a personal engagement plan using the specific skills laid out in the following sessions.
Effective Written Communication
Wednesday, September 14, 10am-2pm (Level 7 Baker tower, plus live streaming)
The words on the page/screen: this session is a close look at the writing and editing techniques needed to communicate complex research to a non-specialist audience in a variety of written formats, including choosing the writing style to suit both the audience and the publication. The session includes a great deal of practical advice on writing and editing and a number of tried and tested techniques to improve written communication.
Public Speaking and Effective Teaching
Thursday, September 29, 10am-2pm (Level 7 Baker tower, plus live streaming)
Standing and talking: despite the rise and rise of Zoom, an in-person oral presentation is still the most effective way of communicating complex research stories to audiences both in and outside the academy. This session will explore how to make good oral presentations and how to use these techniques to enhance teaching to an in-person class, speaking at a public event or just talking to your colleagues in the lab. It will include the use of some theatrical performance techniques and even a touch of Shakespeare!
Social Media
Thursday, October 20, 10am-2pm (Level 7 Baker tower, plus live streaming)
Online used to be a good idea for generating a public profile and raising awareness of your research, but now it is pretty much compulsory. This session will look at the practical use of social media to engage with audiences outside the academy, including identifying your audience and finding the best channels to use, writing online and developing strategies for managing a social media presence alongside an already busy academic career.
Presenting on Camera
Thursday, November 3, 10-11:30am (online-only session)
Given that Zoom is here to stay, researchers need to be able to appear professional and communicate effectively when presenting on camera. This session is presented – appropriately – via Zoom and looks at both the content and techniques of on-screen delivery. It will encompass how to present well to camera and will also look at the technical side of online delivery.
The Cardiometabolic Ph.D. Program is financially supported by the University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences and delivered by the Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health at the Melbourne Medical School.