Scientists to ‘speak without jargon’ or face a gong at public pitching event April 10
For scientific researchers at Memorial, being able to pitch to media and research funding agencies is a pivotal skill that can gain them exposure and support.
But as anyone who works in media knows, scientists are not always the best at explaining the significance of their work in clear and accessible language.
To improve their pitching skills — and to have fun while doing so — Memorial University’s Faculty of Science hosts an annual event called The Gong Show as part of its Scientific Endeavours in Academia conference.
During the event, Memorial University researchers, including undergraduate, master's and PhD students, present their work not only to an audience of peers but to members of the public.
If they use any academic jargon or say something too science-y, the judging panel or audience members can bang the gong. If the gong is banged, the researcher must stop and rephrase what they were explaining. Being “gonged” is an especially disastrous interruption because researchers have just three minutes to summarize their research and its impacts.
For the audience, including members of the media in attendance, The Gong Show is a fun and interactive way to help teach academics to speak like the rest of us, while learning about neat and newsworthy research happening at their local university.
Cash prizes are also at stake for the top undergraduate students, top graduate students and top post-doctoral researchers.
Everyone is invited to attend The Gong Show at Memorial's Core Science Facility on Thursday, April 10, from 6-8:30 p.m.
Follow-up media interviews can be arranged with any winners who catch your attention. Likewise, media interviews can be arranged to learn more about any research project you think might make for a good story.
Dr. Jacqueline Blundell, associate dean of research for Memorial’s Faculty of Science, is also available for pre-event media interviews.
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For more information, or to arrange an interview, contact Chad Pelley, media relations manager for Memorial University, at chad.pelley@mun.ca or 709-853-4281.