On the 16th of February, the LDE GMD Centre opened its doors to a cohort of young, eager researchers for the 2nd edition of the LDE GMD Early Career Network workshop series. Though a windy Wednesday morning, attendance was high as young scholars packed in to listen to dr. Talitha Stam dissect the meaning of impact and how one can most optimally generate it. The session lasted two hours, with the second half being more practical and allowing attendees to draft their 30-second pitches and present them to their counterparts. Following the session, lunch was provided and attendees were able to network and socialize with one another.
What is impact?
Not only did Talitha walk participants through how to generate impact, but she also urged attendees to define what impact is and its necessity. Participants were able to see how one's general message must be modified depending on the specific audience in question. In other words, how you translate your research to the general public will be different from how you translate your research to policymakers. These differences are paramount if we want to get our "foot in the door".
30-second pitches
Prior to the session, attendees were requested to think about a 30-second pitch for any current research they are working on. At the session, participants were able to share these pitches with their fellow researchers and get feedback. Participants were also allowed to guess who the pitch of their colleague was intended for.
The event was an absolute success and was lauded by all attendees as a necessary session. We hope to welcome more of you to the 3rd session somewhere in the summer!