Science Kitchen Training
At your institute. In Berlin. Online.
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!
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 sciences, including ERC starter and consolidator 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 both ERC starting grant and ERC consolidator 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?
