This document provides guidance on building a career in science communication through several key steps: 1. Discovering your personal drivers and passions for science communication. 2. Identifying the skills and benefits you gained from your PhD that are applicable to science communication roles. 3. Choosing the right communication tools and platforms to engage your target audience, while keeping the core message and impact in mind. The document emphasizes finding your personal story and connection to science, leveraging your network, and viewing your PhD as one of many skills rather than solely defining your identity.

1. 1
Building a career through
science communication
Esther De Smet

2. 2
Discovering your personal drivers
Plugging the benefits of your PhD
Identifying the impact of your scicomm
Getting your story straight & meeting
the right people
Choosing the tools for your public
engagement

3. 3
What is your
personal
passion?
How did you
end up in
science/research
?

4. 4
Solving puzzles
Curiosity
Enjoying experiments
Awe of /fascination for
culture/nature
Creative streak / Love of
freedom
Love of learning and
teaching
Do good
DRIVERS
Have an impact / make a
contribution

5. 5
Your PhD may
have given
you an edge…
What do you
think are some of
the benefits?

6. 6
Teaching experience
Closer scrutiny of the
literature
Credibility with academics
Access to jobs at trade
publications and
agencies
Used to hard work and
making things work
Open to editing
Used to deadlines
Richer, true-to-life writing
about science
Abundance of ideas
Knowing where the
stories are
Understanding of
realities/nuances of
science
Networking
BENEFITS

7. 7
• Clear goals, clear target public(s)
• Realistic budget, ROI
• Evaluation, reflection, knowledge sharing
Consistency
• Clear strategy, relevant expertise/skills
• Involving target public(s), their needs
• Position in existing offer
Effectiveness
• Diversity, dialogue
• Products or process?
• Skill development
Normative
criteria
IMPACT
Science communication Assessment Instrument, Rathenau Institute
(2017)

8. 8
IMPACT
Show your
passion
Power of
being
personal
Right & well-
told story
Be a leader
Community of
support
Five key points of being a good communicator, Nancy Baron (2010)
Storytelling
Network

9. 9
WHAT WILL RESONATE WITH OTHER
PEOPLE?
> Central image + Point of connection
> Balancing less vs more
> What is your main message?
> Narrative
STORYTELLING

10. 10

11. 11
NETWORK
Within your own
organisation
For your research
Outside
your organisation
For your
communication
In the end, the challenge is
to gain the trust and respect
of those with whom you are
trying to engage.
(Fisk & Dupree)

12. 12
TOOLS
1. Do not put the tool
before the message
2. Find the right
match

13. TOOLS > WHAT DO YOU DO?
A. I tweet and facebook my a** off
B. I spam newspapers and other written
media with my ideas
C. I traumatise children and youngsters
during outreach sessions
D. If there’s a stage, I’m on it
E. I’m a true hipster so podcasting is my thing
F. Writing is so old school. I vlog, instagram,
pin, draw, create installations…
G. My PE stuff is so cool, there’s no label for
it
H. Leave me alone. Scicomm is for
egomaniacs 13A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H.
0% 0% 0% 0%0%0%0%0%

14. 14
TOOLS > PLATFORMS

15. 15
Discovering your personal drivers
Plugging the benefits of your PhD
Identifying the impact of your scicomm
Getting your story straight & meeting
the right people
Choosing the tools for your public
engagement

16. 16
WRAPPING UP
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOUR (FUTURE)
CAREER?
DISCOVER - More than science
communication: public engagement,
outreach, knowledge mobilisation
activities
SHARE – Collaborate, allow people
in, join my crusade and convince
others, be creative, open up science
LEARN - By training, by looking for
mentor/rolemodel, by simply doing, by
asking your public(s)
LEAD - Flanders is lagging behind – we
need to set up platforms and initiatives, we
need to create the careers
ENRICH – Add an extra dimension to
your current job, build up your
network and skills, enjoy PE

17. THE SKILLS CROSS-OVER
“You can think of research as one of your many useful skills, one
that may come in handy in whatever job you have, but not
necessarily your primary skill, and certainly not your primary
identity. You are welcome to think instead of yourself as a teacher,
or an analyst, or a problem solver, or a communicator, or as a
community builder. These are all fine. You can think of yourself as a
marketer or salesperson, or as a writer or editor, or as an artist or
thinker. Don’t let the fact that you have a PhD limit the way you see
yourself.”
Jennifer Polk
17

18. 18
@ResearchUGent
THANK YOU FOR
PARTICIPATING!
Esther De Smet
Research Department
March 2017