Skills Series

Research Communication Series, Level 1 (RCS L1) 

PhD Plus is excited to relaunch this introductory series in Spring 2023. The four-part workshop will expose graduate students and postdocs to the fundamentals of communicating their research to a range of audiences. Participants will learn how to craft engaging and clear messages for a variety of audiences, practice presenting their research through different mediums, and learn about tools they can use to clarify their messages. 

The workshop series will be offered with limited capacity in Spring 2023. Interested participants must register before 12:00 noon on Wednesday, January 17, using the link below. We will be offering the same series again this fall.   

1. Audience Awareness (January 25)
2. Purpose and Medium (February 1)
3. Writing in Plain Language (February 8)
4. Storytelling (February 15)

Students who complete 3 out of 4 sessions receive a PhD+ credential.  

REGISTER HERE 

Research Communication Series, Level 2 (RCS L2)  

This is an intermediary workshop series that encourages PhD students and postdocs to apply techniques of communicating their research with non-specialist audiences. Enrollment is by application and is limited.  

Writing Op-Eds: Translating Your Research to a Broad Audience 

This series on public writing helps PhD students in arts, humanities, and social science (AHSS) convert their academic writing and research to make it more accessible for broad audiences. Specifically, these sessions delve into the strategies and mechanics of writing op-eds (opinion-editorials) and how they differ from academic writing.  

This series has four sessions in total over Zoom. The speaker, Dr. Brian Rosenwald, a UVA PhD alum, will share his personal stories about becoming a public writer, and discuss the day-to-day work and lessons learned for those interested in similar careers. You’ll learn about career pathways in public scholarship, how to apply PhD skills more broadly, and get a deep dive into op-ed writing with an opportunity to practice and receive feedback. 

Please watch for this to be offered again in the future. For descriptions of previous sessions, see below: 

1. An Overview of Public Writing, the Dos and Don’ts
2. Writing for the Public as a Career for PhDs
3. How to Build an Op-Ed 
4. Workshopping Your Op-Ed Ideas

Grad Thesis Slam

This event will take place April 18, 2023 at Alumni Hall! Read more here. 

Special Topics

In addition to the series above, we offer one-day workshops on various topics throughout the year. Below is a list of individual workshops we've held in the past on topics related to communicating research, open to all UVA PhD students and postdocs. Keep an eye on the PhD+ event calendar for future events!

• Using Analogies to Explain Complex Ideas
• Handling Q&A
• Giving and Receiving Constructive Feedback
• Made to Stick: Evaluating your Message
• International Perspectives on Research Communication 
• Using Social Media to Communicate your Research 
• Communicating with Policymakers 
• The Gift of Listening
• Speak Easy 
• Careers in Science Communication