Science Kitchen Training
At your institute. In Berlin. Online.
We wanted to share with you the great news, and also to thank you for all the excellent work you put together, and for your help and support with the MAGNESIS proposal.
Successful ERC synergy grant, 2025
It was great to learn in such detailed (and yet in a such easy to understand and memorable) manner about the structure of papers. While it felt like a huge and way too complicated task before, I now feel like I can just go at a paper (both reading and writing it) with a well prepared toolbox and can build it up with the bricks of this course. Thank you so much, I am so glad I was able to do this course!!!
Paper writing for PhD students and postdocs, 2025
The course was truly helpful and fun. I appreciated the open discussions and especially also sharing that everybody seemed to have some failed grants. It is often easy to forget that this is part of the business. Leonie, you are a wonderful teacher and I am sure I can use many of the aspects in the future.
Grant writing for PhD students and post docs, 2025
It was truly great! I loved how interactive it was, I enjoyed the pace of the teaching, it was not too slow nor too fast. The voice was clear, the assignments (also during the course) made the time fly and thanks to the hands on experiences the “rules” stick more. I also enjoyed all the metaphors such as the pond, the house, the rainbow, the fairytale forest etc. The course was creative but clear. I also enjoyed the teaching style of not taking everything too serious but also being on point.
Paper writing for PhD students and post docs, 2025
I loved your style! You are energetic, encouraging, make the contents mostly easy to understand. This makes the course quite short lived and very enjoyable. It also motivates to do the assignments properly as you invest into your participants and give honest and respectful feedback.
Paper writing for PhD students and post docs, 2025
Formats and Locations of Training Courses: we are flexible!
Where?
We can provide training courses for groups on-site at your institute, or here in Berlin, or online. Regardless of where they take place, the courses are highly interactive and there is a minimum of “frontal” teaching.
How long?
Each course is typically 2-3 days, in a block format, but other formats can be offered according to the needs of the participants. You want a more compact course? No problem! A longer, more in-depth course? Just ask! Tailored specifically to your PhD program, post-doc program or for group leaders? Just let us know, we are open to discussion.
How many people?
Typically each course takes 12-14 participants but smaller or bigger groups (up to 30) can be accommodated.
How does individual coaching for grant applications work?
After an initial interview at least 4 weeks before the grant deadline, we give you continuous feedback on your idea, your draft, or your full proposal, via the document and in online discussions (or in person if you live in Berlin). We can also give you coaching for your grant interview. Read more about individual coaching here.
How about other topics not listed here?
If you have ideas for a training course or for individual coaching in science communication, career development or any other science topic but you don’t see it on our website, just contact us! It’s probably something we have thought about, and we would be happy to develop it with you!
A collaboration between Leonie Ringrose (Science Kitchen) and Thomas Chemnitz, of the Gorillas Improtheater Berlin
So you think improvisation theatre has nothing to do with the serious business of science? Think again! Learning basic improvisation skills can profoundly transform scientific performance. Between us we have over 60 years of experience in science or improv and we want to share that with you! (For a recent news item click here).
Live performance skills are essential for success
How you perform live in discussions, presentations, questions and answers at conferences, collaborations, teaching, job interviews and grant evaluations, has a direct impact on your career, your reputation, and whether your work gets recognised and funded.
Combine spontaneity and precision!
We will apply improvisation and storytelling skills to presenting your own science to any audience, whether that is your thesis committee, your peers, or non-scientists. Have you ever wondered why scientific talks can be so boring and hard to understand? Do you ever feel you could enjoy giving presentations more than you do? In this workshop you will learn to share your message with any audience, without compromising on precision. And to love doing it.
Play to your strengths
Be what you want
Doing a PhD opens many doors
The possibilities for what you can do afterwards are endless. By doing a PhD you prove that you can work independently, think logically, and finish a huge piece of work to high professional standards. But what comes next? You may wish to continue in academia, or explore other careers. In this workshop we will identify what you can do now, to increase your chance of success for whatever path you choose in future.
Academia and beyond
Whichever career you choose, you will need to show that you have skills beyond those you have developed for your research project. You want to do a post doc? Your supervisor will expect you to work and think independently, be a role model for others, and get your own money. You want to work in industry? You may need skills in communication, project management or programming. You want to launch a start – up? As a scientist, you already have many of the skills to become a successful entrepreneur!
You are in the driving seat: Take agency!
In this hands – on workshop, you will learn to critically evaluate job descriptions and places of work in all sectors, whether in or outside science and academia, and compare them to your own needs and goals. You will learn what makes a convincing job application and how to present your CV to its best advantage. You will also have the chance to practice interview skills and negotiation tactics.
The lives of scientists are full of opportunities—and of obligations—for scientific presentations: lab seminars, institute talks, conference presentations, job interviews. Scientists need to be able to successfully communicate their research to their peers, or their work—and they themselves—will go unnoticed, misunderstood, or ignored.
A complex challenge
How do I prepare my presentations most effectively? How do I meet the right level of accessibility? How do I achieve structure and logic? How can I help my audience to digest complex information and to care about my message? Then, when I am on stage, how do I ensure that my delivery is focused, clear and engaging? How do I deal with nerves?
Plan, deliver, evaluate and improve!
This course helps participants to develop skills in all aspects of scientific presentation, from planning to delivery. Participants build lasting knowledge through relevant and practical exercises covering structure, language, slide design and delivery. By experimenting with rough versions of different parts of your presentation, you will have the chance to build and test hypotheses on why presentations or parts of presentations succeed or fail. You will be able to plan and deliver presentations successfully and with confidence and to help others with constructive feedback.
Be your best self
Share your story
In science, publications are a crucial element of success. Being able to write your own papers independently, rapidly and to a high professional standard as a PhD student or post doc is a key skill that will be invaluable to you throughout your career.
Structural and linguistic challenges
How do I find the best structure for each section of a paper? What is the correct grammatical form for citing literature or describing experiments? What is the right level of language and how does that vary in different parts of the paper? How do I manipulate the English language to be clear, to be persuasive or to be careful?
Rapidly and smoothly navigate the writing journey!
This intensive workshop about writing a scientific paper involves analysis of good and bad examples from the literature, practical writing exercises, and detailed feedback on writing tasks performed both individually and as teamwork. At the end of the course you will have written and received feedback on each section of a paper. You will have a “reference toolbox” of structure and vocabulary for each part of the paper. You will also gain skills in speed-reading, fast and effective planning, and writing scientific English to a fully professional standard.
Papers are very rarely accepted without revisions. Reviewers’ comments, even those that lead to rejection, are an essential part of the publication process. The review process is an opportunity to get feedback on your manuscript before publishing, and to negotiate with editors and reviewers towards the best possible version of your paper.
Strategic and linguistic challenges
Who is the reviewer and what do they want? Who is the editor and how can they help? How do I recognise and strategically deal with different types of reviewers’ comments? How do I argue when I don’t want to do an experiment? How do I deal with rude or biased reviewers in a polite and professional manner? How do I use the English language to be diplomatic and to get what I want?
Negotiate professionally and successfully!
In this workshop, you will swap perspectives between author, editor and reviewer through analysis of examples and in active writing and discussion exercises. You are very welcome to bring your own reviews as material. You will develop a strategic understanding of the review process and learn to use appropriate language to defend your work and to negotiate successfully.
Get what you want
Launch your idea
Science is expensive. Successful applications for external funding are essential to give you the freedom to do what you want and to be competitive on the job market. One of the biggest challenges in writing successful grants is that everything seems to happen behind closed doors: the rules are not always clear, and there are few available examples of successful proposals to learn from. In this workshop you will learn what those hidden rules are, and how to improve your chances of winning at the game.
Strategic and logistic challenges
What kind of funding suits my project? How do I analyse funding initiatives to understand what is required? What are reviewers looking for? How do I strike the right balance between novelty and feasibility? How do I write the proposal to best sell myself, my idea and my work? How do I reach both the generalist and the specialist reviewer? How do I prepare for a grant interview?
Improve your potential to win the game!
We help participants to understand the strategic challenges and potential pitfalls in writing a grant proposal. During the course you will analyse examples, swap perspectives between applicant and reviewer, and write and receive feedback on parts of your own proposal. You will also be able to identify and critically analyse the central hypothesis of your own and others’ proposals, and to use this knowledge to structure and deliver your message.
You have a grant deadline and you want to do a great job, in time, without losing your head? Try our individual coaching! Get continuous, detailed feedback and assistance at any stage of the process from an experienced grant writer and reviewer.
Outstanding expertise
I have been a member of the ERC starting grant LS1 panel from 2013 – 2019 and have over 5.7 million Euros in successful grants (including a MSCA ITN and several national and European grants). I am happy to work on any proposal type in life and natural sciences, including EU Horizon, MSCA, and ERC starter, consolidator and synergy grants
You define what you need and when
After an initial interview in which we assess your goals, your proposal idea and your preferred working style, we are off! Through continuous feedback on the structure, language and figures in your proposal, and regular online meetings (or in presence if you are in Berlin and you prefer that), I help you get your grant application into the best possible shape to deliver your message to reviewers.
Navigate the interview challenge
If your grant evaluation includes an interview, contact us! I have successfully coached candidates for ERC starting grant, consolidator and synergy grant interviews.
Travel in style
Science Kitchen is a journey
Science Kitchen is an experiment
Science Kitchen is a journey
Science Kitchen is an experiment
Science Kitchen is a place to …
meet
tell stories
drink coffee
learn
try new things
experiment
communicate
play
drink tea
share
relax
wash up
Want to know more?
