Improve your outreach with Soapbox Science

SCIENCE COMMUNICATION. Step up on the soapbox and deliver a short and engaging presentation to those in front of you. Soapbox Science aims to showcase female and non-binary researchers. As a speaker, there’s a lot to gain, particularly in improving your ability to explain your research for a broader audience.

The six organizers of this year’s event have all been involved in Soapbox Science before, and now they’re providing an opportunity for others to take the same chance. As a speaker, you’ll give a brief presentation in your area of expertise, standing on a soapbox with simple props. Assistants at Soapbox Science help speakers during presentations and attract listeners to stop and listen at the soapboxes. While men are welcome to participate as assistants, the role of the presenter is reserved for female and non-binary researchers in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Medicine).

Plenty to Gain

Participation offers many benefits, according to the organizers:

“When you stand on the soapbox and share your research, you immediately receive feedback from the audience about what works, and which arguments resonate. This insight can be valuable when crafting your popular science summary for research funding applications, as research proposals should also be interesting and understandable to non-experts”, says Andrea Ramnath, a doctoral student in neurodegenerative diseases at Chalmers.

Anna Brandt, a physics doctoral student at the University of Gothenburg, was assistant during last year’s Soapbox Science:

“I thought it was super fun to collaborate with researchers from several different fields. I thought the atmosphere during the event was particularly lovely, there was a lot of energy, curiosity and passion for their subject. I’m really looking forward to meeting this year’s assistants and speakers!”, says Anna Brandt.

“Furthermore, you expand your network. Participating in the event is a social and pleasant experience with other researchers”, says Viola D’mello, a postdoctoral researcher also working at the Department of Physics.

“Being part of Soapbox Science becomes a standout item on your CV. It shows that you are involved in outreach, a crucial aspect of research”, says Astrid von Mentzer, a researcher at the Institute of Biomedicine.

The organizers aim for half of the presenters to speak Swedish, and the other half to be English speakers.

Inspired by Speakers Corner

This marks the third time Soapbox Science is held in Gothenburg as part of the Science Festival. Previously held indoors at Nordstan, the event will now be moved outdoors. Thus, the speakers on their soapboxes will more closely resemble the inspiration from Speakers Corner in London.

“It feels natural to move the event outdoors. The impression becomes more of a person talking about science than someone conducting an experiment. If the weather turns unfavorable, we will relocate to Nordstan”, says Kerryn Elliott, a researcher at the Institute of Biomedicine.

An informational meeting (hybrid) will be held on March 1^st at 12-13 pm for all registered and interested participants (more info below).

Soapbox Science is funded by the Gender Initiative for Excellence (Genie) at Chalmers.

More information:

• Soapbox Science web page: http://soapboxscience.org/
• Gender Initiative for Excellence (Genie): https://www.chalmers.se/en/about-chalmers/organisation-and-governance/equality/genie-gender-initiative-for-excellence/

Social media:

• Facebook: Soapbox Science Göteborg
• Instagram: soapboxsciencegbg
• Twitter:@GbgSoapboxSci eller SoapboxScienceGBG

 

Informational meeting on March 1st

An informational meeting (hybrid) will be held on March 1^st at 12-13 pm for all registered and interested participants.

• Sign up: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfS_IsZpIyFcR9_v34wEJho548hpHQceIFkpbN-5NpW8dW-ag/viewform?usp=sharing
• Zoom link: https://gu-se.zoom.us/j/62614912921?pwd=NklHcmZwVXBiZitqZkVKRmVoUjhCUT09

 

BY: ELIN LINDSTRÖM