Presentation Skills Training for Scientists & Researchers
Confident, clear, compelling research presentations for expert and non-expert audiences
Our longer-format presentation skills training, workshops, and programmes give researchers the tools and practice to present complex content with clarity, confidence, and structure, whether speaking at conferences, defending their work, or presenting to collaborators and the public. Expect a hands-on, feedback-rich environment where participants practice and improve in real time.
Our presentation skills offerings focus on communicating science and research, but the skills are transferable: they benefit teaching, public engagement, grant presentations, and professional networking.
We offer several intensive formats. Each is tailored using insights from our initial discovery call and/or pre-training survey, with examples that reflect your group’s discipline and context.
Presentation skills training: 2-day intensive (in person or online) for scientists and researchers
→ Most popular format
This comprehensive workshop includes all elements of planning, development, practising, delivering, and reflecting on presentations. Presentations focus on delivering scientific and technical presentations, however skills are transferable and are useful for reports, project updates, and presentations for non-experts audiences.
What’s covered:
- Audience-centred presenting
- Purpose and key message
- Structuring presentations for clarity
- Visual communication principles and slide design: creating visuals that support (not overwhelm)
- Using voice and non-verbal cues to engage
- Managing nerves and building confidence
- Delivering with confidence and presence
- Presenting online effectively
- Advanced Q&A strategies
What to expect:
Two hands-on days that include:
- Useful theory
- Frameworks and templates
- Review and critique sessions
- Recorded presentation practice with structured peer review sessions
- Individual coaching and feedback
- Multiple opportunities to present and refine during the two days
- Final showcase presentations with feedback from peers and facilitator.
Delivery:
Two consecutive days (in-person) or 2x half-day sessions online, and 2x consecutive half-day sessions in person.
Ideal for:
Researchers and scientists able to invest the time in repeated practice and feedback sessions, to see tangible improvements. Also excellent for team building and creating a feedback culture.
Tailor this training to your needs
Although most groups find the 2-day training most effective, we know that researchers and scientists often have different needs. Some are short on time, some want to focus on a particular skill, and some need to invest in repeated practice for an important funding or stakeholder presentation.
We can adapt this training to fit your context. For example:
One-day foundations?
We offer a one-day, in-person training that covers messaging, structure, and delivery, with individual feedback on all elements of presenting so that participants can use that to refine their skills.
Blended formats?
We offer a combined self-paced online session with a one-day in-person session, so that participants can work through presentation design in their own time, followed by a full day focused on delivery, peer-review, and ongoing improvement.
Half-day skills intensive, with lots of practice?
If there is one thing that’s causing your group “pain”, we can invest 4 solid hours focused on that alone. Whether the challenge is around audience, message and structure; engaging language and storytelling; slide design; voice and non-verbal cues; dealing with questions; presentation confidence in a second or third language; or the unique challenges that women-in-science face, a half-day session can help.
Group coaching for high-stakes presentations?
Individual or group coaching for researchers and research groups getting ready to present to funders, project review boards, and key stakeholders.
Just need foundations?
We offer several modular 2-hour SciComm Skills Sessions that deal with messaging, slide design, visual principles, delivery, and flash talks. See our other short format options →
Delivery options
In-person (recommended wherever possible):
Across Europe (if we can get there by public transport, we’re happy to travel!)
Online:
Via Zoom, or your preferred platform. We run these workshops for institutions worldwide
Included in all formats:
- Pre-training discovery call and/or survey to understand your group’s needs and context
- Tailored examples relevant to your discipline
- Hands-on practice with peer and facilitator feedback
- Post-session resources and frameworks
- Support for organisers in planning and participant communication
Perfect for:
- PhD students and postdocs
- Interdisciplinary summer/winter schools
- Research teams preparing for conferences or grant presentations
- PIs and research leads responsible for guiding project teams
- Scientific support or admin teams communicating with students/faculty
- R&D teams sharing internal results or innovation pipelines
- Add-on modules or workshops for conferences, scientific meetings, or project check-ins
Short-format alternatives to long-format training
If your group needs immersive learning, with lots of time for application, practice, refinement, peer-sharing, and learning-by-doing, our long-format training is best.
But: in the real world, researchers and students need to balance “too little time” with a need to learn communication skills. That’s why we offer half-day workshops, and 2-hour skills sessions, too.
2-hour Skills Sessions
→ Single focus for large groups
Our short SciComm Skills Sessions are designed to introduce one specific skill in a short timeframe, online, for groups of up to 100 participants.
Choose from:
- Audience, messaging & structure: (foundational planning)
- Slide design best practices: (visual clarity essentials)
- Voice & body language, delivery: (delivery practice)
- Flash talks & 3MT® preparation: (ultra-short presentation formats)
- Storytelling & narrative: (frameworks and techniques)
- Elevator pitches: (presenting without slides)
Even Less Time?
→ Webinars, expert talks, panel contributions, quick tips
We’re always open to contributing to sessions that need short, sharp input, without the interactive training element.
We draw on 20+ years of international communication experience, and nearly 14 years of working with scientists and researchers across a wide range of disciplines.
Get in touch to chat about whatever is on your mind and we’ll do our best to help.
Explore all training topics
Not sure which format or topic you need? Browse our complete catalogue of communication training, organised by category.
Looking for something different?
We’re always happy to tailor programmes to your context, or create custom-designed learning experiences to address specific needs.
Ready to plan presentation skills training?
If you want to offer an interactive presentation skills workshop or skills session to your scientists, research group, or students, we’d love to help.
Tell us a bit about what you need (purpose, number of participants, when, where, and anything else that might be useful), and we’ll respond with ideas and costs.
Alternatively, book a call, and we can talk through your ideas together.
