Research & science presentation skills training
Equipping scientists and researchers across Europe with the skills to plan, structure, and deliver presentations that resonate, with expert and non-expert audiences alike.
Is presentation skills training necessary?
Most researchers give their first conference presentation with minimal formal training. They’ve watched others present, absorbed the norms of their discipline, and worked out through trial and error what seems to work. Some develop skills and confidence. Many don’t, and they carry that uncertainty with them throughout their careers.
There is a real cost associated with this.
A poorly structured talk loses an audience that might have been genuinely interested. A nervous delivery undermines work that deserved attention. A poster that nobody stops at represents weeks of research that never got the conversation it merited. And a funding pitch that doesn’t get the message and story right for the audience? Doesn’t get funded.
Humans aren’t born with the ability to present research. Presentation skills need to be learned, and the good news is that they are learnable. They’re also specific to the context in which presentations take place. What works for a journal club is different from what works for a public lecture, a funder pitch, or a three-minute thesis competition.
Our training helps researchers develop the adaptability to present well across all of these formats.
Why researchers struggle with presentation skills
Scientific training optimises for precision and completeness. A good paper leaves nothing out. A good presentation does the opposite: it makes ruthless choices about what matters most to this audience, right now, and builds everything around that.
That tension between thoroughness and clarity sits at the heart of most presentation problems researchers face. Add to that the challenge of presenting in a second or third language, the particular pressure of defending work to specialists who know where the gaps are, and the growing expectation to communicate with non-expert audiences, lik policymakers, the public, funders – and the skills required are considerable.
Our training addresses all of this directly, across a range of formats designed to fit different career stages, time constraints, and communication contexts.
Presentation and communication training for researchers: what we offer
We offer training in-person training across Europe in the form of our 1-2 day workshops, as well essential skills sessions that typically take 2 hours.
Explore these below, or get in touch for details →
Long-format workshops
These training courses are most effective when delivered in-person. Looking for blended-learning or online formats? Get in touch →
Clear, Confident Research Presentations →
A one- or two-day workshop covering message development, structure, story techniques, slide design, and delivery. Includes extensive practice and peer feedback (depending on length). Best format: in-person. Also possible as a blended-learning option.
Research Posters: From Idea to Delivery
Design, content, and delivery. A one- or two-day workshop covering everything researchers need to create posters that attract attention and generate meaningful conversations. Includes continuous application and feedback throughout.
Applied Storytelling for Sharing Science and Research
A one- or two-day workshop on narrative structure and storytelling techniques for communicating research compelling with time to apply and test using individual research. Application can focus on one or multiple channels, like presentations, papers, grant applications, and public engagement formats (podcasting, social media, video and more), depending on the needs of the group and workshop length.
TED-Style Talks for Researchers
For researchers preparing high-stakes public or semi-public talks, combining narrative craft, delivery coaching, and structured practice.
Essential skills sessions: 2 hours, online
Focused, practical sessions for large groups online. Each session introduces one skill with time for guided exercises and peer feedback. Topics include:
- Flash Talks Foundations
- Presentation Messaging & Structure
- Presentation Delivery Skills
- Poster Design Essentials
- Scientific Slide Design
- Elevator Pitches for Researchers
- 3MT® Preparation for Doctoral Candidates
- Storytelling and Narrative Foundations
Request our skills session catalogue, or view all topics here →
Not sure where to start?
Get in touch and tell us what your researchers need. We’ll suggest the right approach.
Or browse all training topics to get an overview of the specific training and workshops we offer.
Who this training is for
Our presentation and communication training is designed for PhD students and doctoral candidates preparing for their first conferences and thesis defences, postdoctoral researchers developing their public profile, research teams preparing for major events or funding milestones, and graduate schools building systematic communication skills programmes.
We work with institutions across Europe, in person and online, in English, with particular experience supporting researchers working in multilingual and international environments.
We also offer presentation coaching for individual researchers, research groups, and for research presentation events that bring together presenters from across the organisation.
Excellent feedback, happy participants
Suzanne delivered a 1.5 day presentation skills workshop for our annual winter school. Participants were constantly “doing”: exercises, giving each other feedback, running critiques. They left with invidual inputs, and several tools that they can reuse. We’re looking forward to having the SciComm Success team involved in next year’s retreat.
—Rachel Ellis, Teagasc
Ready to discuss training for your researchers?
Tell us about your group and what you need. We’ll respond with ideas and costs.
Need something tailored to your needs?
We design custom programmes around the specific needs of your group, and we also offer immersive in-person formats for retreats and intensive programmes, including our:
- SciComm Impact Week culminating in a 3MT competition, and
- Research Communication Intensive that combines training in poster design, presentations, and voice and body language techniques, and ends with a live poster session to apply skills.
Curious? Let’s speak →
Why our skills training works
We focus on transferable skills, not rigid templates and “cookie cutter” approaches to skills development.
Your researchers learn practical techniques to use immediately, whether presenting at conferences, writing grant proposals, or engaging with policymakers and the public. Skills that serve them throughout their careers.
Our focus is on offering useful tools and approaches, so that training participants can try them out and choose the ones that help them communicate confidently, clearly, and authentically.