Young scientists dedicate themselves to communication

This year's Week of Young Scientists was devoted entirely to the topic of "science communication". In addition to workshops for personal further qualification, exchange and networking formats gave many opportunities to inform and be inspired on the topic across disciplines. The theme week was organized by the Staff Office for Young Scientists (https://www.win-ubt.uni-bayreuth.de/de/index.html), which offers qualification, support and consulting services for all career stages from doctoral studies to junior professorships.

Science communication encompasses all aspects of communicating scientific work and results, both within science and in communication between science and the public. The importance of science communication was also particularly evident during the Corona pandemic.... During this time, it became clear once again that science communication does not only take place between scientists, but that scientific results must also be processed for the non-specialist public and made available through appropriate channels beyond scientific publication.

Lecture and panel discussion

In her introductory lecture on the topic of science communication, junior professor Laura König shared a wealth of practical information and advice, as well as very personal insights into how science communication can be used for one's own career and also possible research collaborations.

Young scientists were particularly encouraged to try out new ways of communicating their own research to the public and to find the right format for themselves and their research results (read more: https://www.wissenschaftskommunikation.de/formate/). Does science communication now accelerate or slow down one's own career? The conclusion of the discussants was clearly positive, but it takes stamina, a willingness to experiment, and support. 

Evening event

During the evening event, the two winners of the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition were announced. The 3MT is an academic competition that was initiated by the University of Queensland in Australia and is now held worldwide. In this competition, PhD students compete against each other by presenting their research topic and its significance in just three minutes.

In the public voting, Julia Plaß from Bayreuth was able to prevail among the five candidates in the final.

Lived science communication at the UBT

In so-called spotlights, UBT colleagues shared their personal experiences with different platforms and channels, such as running their own website with blog (https://www.archivalgossip.com/), video production for a YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHRWVx4JnCGJo1CRVSXTsw), using Stories for Instagram and TikTok for didactics (https://my.uni-bayreuth.de/cmlife/s/courses/Ly91YnRAY21jby9hcGkvY291cnNlcy8zMDM0NDA/description), tweeting for a SFB (https://twitter.com/SFB1357), producing a podcast (http://www.bayceer.uni-bayreuth.de/moorminuten/), and engaging in dialogue with interested parties in online discussion groups (https://bayklif.de/klimadiskurse/). Across disciplines, a fruitful and collegial exchange emerged about understanding and addressing the intended target audience, technology and software used, and the benefits and returns of engaging with the selected format. The Spotlights were able to provide assistance on the individual formats and channels, as well as practical tips and tricks, especially for WissKomm newcomers.

SciComm in the acquisition of third-party funds

In its info session "SciComm in Third-Party Funding", the Research Funding Office focused on the offers and requirements of third-party funders for science communication. In addition to the relevant funding bodies and funding lines, low-threshold competitions for young scientists were also presented here.

Networking and Communication

The Pop-Up WiNkubator Café took place in the RW Cafeteria and offered all participants the opportunity to network between the events as well as to get to know competent contact persons of the UBT and to use their support services for different phases of the research career. Representatives of the Research Funding Office, the Writing Center, the University Library, the Continuing Education Center for University Teaching (FBZHL) and the University of Bayreuth Graduate School were available for personal discussions with interested participants.

Hands-on Research

The doctoral students' representation of the University of Bayreuth Graduate School organized the ShowME event followed by a regulars' table, where the doctoral students could visit laboratories of isotope biogeochemistry.