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Workshop Wisdom: Empowering Scientists to Communicate with Impact
Suchitha Champak
July 21, 2025
Welcome, reader!
50th Edition Special
Reflections from the SciRio Team
A heartfelt celebration of our journey, through the voices of those behind the scenes:
TL;DR: Workshop Wisdom in Action
Workshops work—when they’re hands-on, human-first, and rooted in real science.
In this 50th edition, we celebrate the power of structured practice: how live storytelling, role-play, and peer feedback equip scientists to communicate with confidence and clarity.
You’ll discover:
Proven formats like those from the Alan Alda Center, NIMH, and EU-LIFE
Immersion-based models from Stanford BioSci and Force11
Plug-and-play tools to help you build your own sessions
Field-tested lessons from SciRio’s work with ITC junior scientists
Plus: A free Workshop Starter Pack to help you turn insight into action.
Whether you're training your team, leading a seminar, or rethinking how you present your science—this edition is your practical guide to doing it better.
If you’ve followed these newsletters from the start, or even if this is the first time you’ve ever heard of us, thank you. Our readers are at the heart of everything we do.
This milestone edition emphasizes the transformative power of hands-on workshops in biotech, medtech, and healthcare communication—and marks gratitude for our growing community and contributors.
Featured Insight
Why Workshop-Style Training Works
Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science has trained over 15,000 scientists using improv-based exercises that foster clarity and empathy.
NIMH Intramural Program offers annual science communication workshops, including chalk talks, 3-minute talks, coaching, and digital badge assessments.
EU‑LIFE / BRIC Storytelling Labs engage researchers with live storytelling training to enhance outreach to public and policy audiences.
These programs illustrate how experiential learning—role plays, peer feedback, rapid pitching—leads to lasting communication impact.
Innovation Showcase
Immersion & Hack‑Based Models
Stanford BioSci Careers “Prep & Practice”: 20‑hour industry immersion courses where scientists role-play biotech business, media, and policy interviews.
Force11 Scholarly Communication Institute: week-long workshops featuring sprints, peer labs, and collaborative projects (traditionally in the open research sphere).
NCI AI in Radiation Oncology Workshop (2019): Multi-disciplinary training structured around role-based tool visuals and real-case communication exercises.
Practical Tools
Plug-and-Play Assets for Science Communication Workshops
Whether you're onboarding a new R&D team or aligning regulatory and product narratives, these tools can streamline your next workshop. Each is open-format and adaptable to your workflow:
Tool | Purpose | How to Use |
|---|---|---|
Workshop Flow Designer (Miro / FigJam) | Plan timing, transitions, and session goals visually | Create swimlanes for each segment: intro, breakout, share-back, debrief |
Persona Cards | Align communication style to target audiences (e.g., clinician, regulator, investor) | Kick off with an empathy mapping exercise using stakeholder scenarios |
Message Distillation Canvas | Help teams move from complex data to a single compelling insight | Use this before slide-building or manuscript prep |
Peer Feedback Grid | Structured peer review to evaluate clarity, engagement, and scientific accuracy | Distribute during presentations or storytelling exercises |
Slide-to-Narrative Mapping Sheet | Link visuals to message flow across a presentation deck | Encourage teams to storyboard before opening PowerPoint |
Live Polling Tools (e.g., Mentimeter, Slido) | Capture feedback or test comprehension in real time | Use for audience questions, rankings, or reflection check-ins |
From the Field
Real-World Industry Integration
Clarivate Healthcare: Hosts a 3-part soft-skills workshop series teaching empathy-driven communication in interactions with internal and external stakeholders like patients and providers.
Body Talk: Provides scientific communication workshops specifically designed for pharmaceutical teams, focusing on building trust, credibility, and effective knowledge transfer to healthcare professionals.
These showcase how communication training enhances both internal effectiveness and external impact.
Behind the Scenes
SciRio @ LSTC ITC Junior Scientist Workshop
Highlights include:
Hands-on exercises where junior scientists translate complex assay results into tailored summaries according to audience
Demos of AI tools and active breakout groups
Take home assignments which were an extension of the workshop activities- followed by peer-review and facilitator-led feedback
Group interactive sessions, such as quiz and other forms, using Mentimeter
Participant quotes:
“SciRio’s workshop gave us new insights on what is expected when reports are written.”
“SciRio’s workshop helped me learn the importance of emphasizing key points such as market trends, competitive analysis, customer insights, and potential growth opportunities during the market report presentation.”
“SciRio’s workshop introduced us to AI Tools for scientific communication.”
This workshop exemplifies SciRio’s mission to develop early-career science communicators.
Community Corner
📬 Call for Submissions
Have you recently run or participated in a science communication workshop? We want to hear your story—and include it in future newsletter issues!
✉️ Share your experience with us via email!
Missed our last edition? Read it here.
Subscriber Bonus
Your free toolkit includes:
Visual workshop flowchart
Improv/storytelling prompts
Peer feedback worksheets
Editable templates for teams or classes
Final Word
Psychology shows that experiential practice beats any lecture—workshops foster empathy, clarity, and connection. As we toast Issue #50, here's to building the next 50 with human-centered, hands-on science communication at their core.
Read our Case study
It was an enriching experience to plan and execute a two-day science communication workshop for the junior scientists at the Life Sciences and Technology Centre, ITC Limited. Read how we approached the challenge and what came out of the workshop synthesis here.