Programs

Explore different programs, boot camps, and competitions to improve your communications skills.

Title photo of AIBS - American Institute of Biological Sciences

AIBS Communication Boot Camp for Scientists

American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) hosts an intensive, two-day, hands-on training program offered online and periodically in Washington, DC.

 

 

Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competitions

The Three Minute Thesis competition celebrates the exciting research conducted by Doctor of Philosophy students. Developed by The University of Queensland, 3MT cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills.

The competition supports their capacity to effectively explain their research in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.

USC Humanities in a Digital World Summer Boot Camp

Humanities in a Digital World Summer Boot Camps are open to USC and Claremont Colleges faculty, postdocs, and graduate students with primary interests in the humanities.

Pitching

Learn how to effectively pitch your ideas concisely and clearly.

A photo of a man presenting as there is a woman behind him taking notes.

Pitching the Basics

The OpEd Project (2020) provides tips on pitching.

 

Group of students discussing in the library .

Time to Perfect Your Elevator Pitch

University of Pennsylvania tips on how to perfect your pitch.

Two businessmen having discussion at office meeting

Recruiting Tips: Elevator Speech 101

Deloitte recruiters provide tips on how to stand out in your pitch.

Students listening to a lecture.

How to Pitch Yourself to an Employer

Researchers from National Library of Medicine provide 1o simple rules to how to hit a home run with your elevator pitch.

Woman is taking notes in her notebook, staring into her laptop.

Preparing an Elevator Pitch as a Ph.D. Student: Challenges and Strategies

Article from Medium (Kohno, 2023), talked about how to prep your elevator pitches as a Ph.D students – highlighting strengths and recognizing weaknesses.

A male student is typing on his computer and his classmate, a girl on his left and a man on his right, looking at his work on his computer.

How to Write a Ph.D. Elevator Pitch

Learn more on how to write a Ph.D elevator pitch, advices from Academic Position.

Presenting Research

Perfect your presentation skills so that you are able to explain your research to anybody.

A girl in a suit is explaining her research poster to another girl.

Perfecting Your Presentation Skill

Collection of TedTalks videos on helpful tips to hone in your presentation skills before hitting the conference room.

Research Statement

Cornell University Graduate School

Academic Presentation Tips from TedTalk

Tips and advices from TedTalks Researchers used when presenting their findings, from their secret to public speaking to core concepts they focus on (LIN, 2022).

A man by the name of Euan Doige presenting at 3MT (3 minutes thesis) a competition for presenting research, he was the award winning of 2022, this is a screenshot of him during his speech.

Hooking Your Audience with Your Research

Watch Euan Doige’s winning presentation at the 3-Minute-Thesis (3MT) conference as well as a 4 minute read on his valuable advice in presenting your research (Doidge, 2023).

A woman, assuming student, is presenting to 2 other women, about her research poster.

How to Create a Research Poster

NYU Library

Group of people walking around a conference room, looking and hearing the research posters presented.

Presenting at Conferences – Making the most Opportunities

University of Melbourne’s guide on gaining the most opportunities when presenting at conferences.

Social Media

Modernize your communication and learn how to engage in social media to share your ideas.

Group of people holding phone and staring at them.

Tips for Using Twitter

Twitter (2020)

A photo of the screen of an Apple Iphone, showing social medias apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

How to Communicate Your Research on Social Media

Inside Higher Ed (2020)

A girl with at her desk with her notebook and opened laptop is staring at her phone screen.

To Tweet or Not to Tweet

Inside Higher Ed (2019)

3 students, 2 women and 1 male is seated together, one woman is pointing at the screen off to the side and the guy is seated in the middle and both him and the other woman is looking into the laptop screen that their fellow classmate is pointing to.

Five Tips for Live-Tweeting a Conference

Connected Academics (2017)

Group of teenagers on their cell phones.

What Are The Best Social Media Platforms For PhDs And Early Career Academics?

The Leverage Ph.D (2023)

Male and female students using laptops in classroom

Social Media for Researcher: An Effective Science Communication Tool

Researcher Life – Jennifer Ulz (2022)

Listening

An important aspect to communication is not only speaking, but listening. Learn how to strengthen your communication with active listening skills.

Group of people in a room listening to a speaker, 2 people are raising their hands to get the attention of the speaker to answer questions.

Eight Tips To Boost Active Listening In University Students

The Higher Education (2022) 

Young woman during class in the university.

What is Active Listening and How Can You Improve This Key Skill?

Coursera (2023)

Lecture hall full of students listening

Key Tips on Active Listening

MIT Human Resources (2023)

Portrait of Architecture student at lecture class, friends present project in front of class.

How to Become a Better Listener

Harvard Business Review (2021

Standard_Black-Female-Student-of-Color-Reading-Laptop-Library

Leadership Through Listening

USC Annenberg, School of Communication and Journalism

group-college-students-collaborating-on qoek

Improving Your Listening Skills

USC Career Center Resources