Scientists! Do you want to share your research?
Our sister site, Videnskab.dk, is looking for scientists in Denmark who want to share their research with the public as part of The Danish Science Festival, 2018.
Are you a scientist in Denmark? Tired of just talking to your colleagues about your research?
Well you now have a unique opportunity to share you research with the public.
Our Danish sister site, Videnskab.dk, is calling on scientists across the country to sign up for ‘Book a Scientist,’ part of the Danish Science Festival 2018.
Once signed up, you will join a database of researchers who are then available to give a presentation or workshop on your chosen topic--be that microbiology, reptiles, cancer research, space travel, climate change, and so on.
The Danish Science Festival is an annual event organised by the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science.
Our sister site, Videnskab.dk, is a secretariat for the ‘Book a Scientist’ programme.
More than 600 events are planned throughout the festival, and more than 75,000 people are expected to attend.
Presentations typically last for about one hour, but you can decide how long it will take to tell your story. Interested memebers of the public will then be able to search the database and invite you to give a talk. You can commit to as many presentations as you like - it is entirely up to you.
The Danish Science Festival will be held between 20-26 April 2018.
Sign up by submitting a short summary of your chosen topic, around 130 words, at the Danish Science Festival website [http://forsk.dk/add_lecture_form]. Remember to upload a picture related to your topic.
Registration is now open and will close on 1 March 2018.
You can read more about the festival and ‘Book a Scientist’ on the Danish Science Festival website.
Explaining things to "normal" people makes you a better researcher
Last year was a record year for ‘Book a Scientist’ , with around 28,000 participants, 534 presentations, and 294 scientists.
We need your help to repeat this success.
Professor Bente Jensen from The Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, says her participation in the programme was a rewarding learning process.
"Entering a dialogue with people is, in my opinion, one of the most important things that a researcher should do. It also sharpens my own research by communicating it to different target groups. I became focussed in a different way," said Jensen to Videnskab.dk.
Read More: New research shows explaining things to ‘normal’ people can help scientists be better at their jobs
Inspire the next generation of scientists
Besides improving your own communications skills, taking part in ‘Book a Scientist’ brings your knowledge to a young generation of budding scientists.
How many of them will you inspire to fall in love with science? Perhaps even to follow a scientific career?
This is just what happened to Annika Højrup Thomsen, who decided to follow a career in biology after attending a scientific lecture.
"I don’t know whether I would have discovered that I wanted to be a scientist if I hadn’t heard that presentation. It wasn’t something that I’d otherwise dreamed about. I had thought about being a vet or a craftsman," says Annika to Videnskab.dk.
Today, Annika is a research scientist at the University of Copenhagen in the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology where she is studying for her Ph.D.
"I think that a lot of people will find it interesting, if they knew what is that we do when we’re shuffling around in our lab coats. It will also make it easier to recruit more young people as scientists," she says.
Read More: Q&A: Professor Brian Cox talks scicomm
Do you want to book a scientist?
Anyone can book a scientist. The audience could be private individuals, public institutions, high school classes, school students, or companies.
Go to the ‘Book a Scientist’ website to find a presentation. The website opens 5 March 2018.
It is free to book a scientist but there are two requirements:
- You must guarantee a minimum audience of 20 people.
- You must organise a suitable venue yourself.
So keep your eyes peeled for when the website opens and, well, you know... book a scientist!
---------------
Read More at our Danish sister site, Videnskab.dk
Translated by: Catherine Jex
