Training

The Learning and Development Centre to run a tailored series of academic master-classes. designed to efficiently provide expert-led direction and practice around key academic-specific communication skills. The sessions will cover everything from, Grant Management to Media Skills and Working with Enterpise. 

Take a look at the full range of courses.

• Science Communication: Reaching a Wider Audience – This workshop will prepare you to talk about your work with scientists outside your specialism, media professionals, and members of the public. Through a hands-on activity with professional audio equipment, you will have the opportunity to explore some new skills by participating in the recording and editing of a short radio feature.
• Great Presentations for Great Results - In this course you will consider how to communicate research findings or outcomes in a fascinating and exciting way.  You will have an opportunity to put into practice all that you learn in the course and then receive feedback on your presentation.
• Personal Pitching: Selling Your Research and Expertise - Using your research as a starting point, here you will hone a series of short pitches (oral, written, virtual communication methods) with the aim of getting people to the stage of wanting to know more about you and your work.
• One to One Voice Coaching Sessions - Would you like to learn exercises that will reduce vocal strain, improve vocal range, variety, clarity and pronunciation and gain and hold the attention of an audience? Would you like to make a positive initial impact and keep control of difficult situations? In this individualised and confidential one-hour session you will determine the objectives and work on exercises to address your specific needs. 

• School governors' network – Launched in December 2016, this network aims to support staff members who are School Governors, to share expertise and best practice and to identify ways that Imperial can engage better with schools. 

• Co-Creating Innovative Solutions for Healthcare (CRISH) - CRISH is a free EIT Health short course, which aims to teach multidisciplinary healthcare team members (such as clinicians, nurses, AHP, managers, researchers and patients) to co-create solutions for healthcare, whether for service provision, research, device or other innovation development. Ideally, up to 3 different types of stakeholders from the same team or subject area (preferably including a patient or member of the public) would attend the course together and work on their real-life project. If you're not part of a team, then individuals can also apply to attend and may be grouped with others depending on their area of interest; however preference will be given to those who apply as a group. 
• Public involvement training - The NIHR Imperial Patient Experience Research Centre (PERC) has developed a free online course entitled “Public Involvement in Research” which is suitable for both researchers and most patients/members of the public who may be involved in research or wish to be. For more details on this course and other public involvement training resources please click on the link above.

Advancing Human Health through Engagement - This short course moves beyond the traditional notions of "public engagement" to explore methods for discussing issues around policy, healthcare, research, trust and ethical practice, involving clinicians, scientists, patients, wider publics and society at large.   The short course is for experienced clinicians and will be led by Dr. Laura Coates and Professor Roger Kneebone.  

Strategic Training in External Partnerships (STEP) Programme - The STEP programme has been established with the aim of diversifying research income in the Faculty of Natural Sciences. Its goal is to support the Imperial research community in building new collaborations, diversify their research portfolio and deliver excellence with impact. The programme has been specifically designed for the cohort of new starters from the Faculty of Natural Sciences.

• The Skills Development Programme (SDP), which is Endorsed by the Institute of Leadership & Management, goes one step further and recognises the skills you have developed alongside your volunteering hours through short, reflective assignments following the training workshops. Upon completing the Skills Development Programme you will received an ILM Endorsed Certificate, which clearly demonstrates to graduate recruiters the practical skills you have developed. 
• The Pimlico Connection - The Union support students to volunteer to become Pimlico Connection Tutors, providing a half-day training session that aims to impart information about the English school system and the National Curriculum, address importance of clear communication as a tutor, introduce responsibilities and finally plan and deliver tutor sessions. This has also previously included a workshop on public speaking. 

Eligible Year 2 students can choose the Public Engagement: Connecting Audiences and Research module as part of their I-Explore STEMM programme.  Developed and delivered by the Societal Engagement team, this interactive module explores what is public engagement with research, why it matters and what makes it high-quality. Students evaluate a public engagement event and develop their own engagement activity for specific audiences and Imperial research. 

The Imperial Horizons programme offers a wide range of courses for all Imperial College undergraduates. It is designed to broaden education, inspire creativity and enhance professional impact.

I-Explore is a broad portfolio of for degree credit modules, providing an opportunity for students to broaden their knowledge and tackle a subject area outside of their core discipline. Depending on their department, students will take their I-Explore module in either their second or third year of study at Imperial.

Engagement Masterclasses - Our masterclasses (for staff and doctoral students) are a low-commitment, easy way to get familiar with engagement and kickstart your engagement activities. Find out about what public engagement is, why it's important and how to evaluate activities in our Core Masterclass. Then explore our further masterclasses that enable you to build on the knowledge and skills gained in the core sessions such as communication and engagement with controversial issues.  Several of these courses are also accredited by the Graduate School. 

You may also be interested in:

• Research Impact Programme - The Graduate School runs workshops and courses that provide strategies for creating impact from your research to benefit society, the environment and the economy. Courses range from Impact Essentials to Open Research and Publishing, Public Engagement and Outreach, Policy Engagement and Enterprise. 
  
  
• Postgraduate Student Coaching Programme - The Graduate School's Postgraduate student coaching programme has been established to provide you with an opportunity to talk, independently from your academic department, about challenges you may be experiencing during the course of your studies. The programme primarily focuses on building effective working relationships and there may be other self-development issues that you wish to explore.

• Postgraduate Student Coaching Programme – this scheme provides an opportunity for Post Graduates to work with local schools and inspire young audiences to consider studying science, technology, engineering, mathematics and business subjects. There are currently approximately 30 ambassadors enrolled on the scheme.
  
  
• [External opportunity] Royal Institution’s Masterclasses - hands-on and interactive extracurricular sessions in mathematics or computer science. They are designed to  nurture students’ curiosity and inspire them to continue STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) engagement into the future. 

Imperial Policy Forum can offer a range of support if you are considering submitting a response to any of the below opportunities, including:

• Support in identifying the elements of the consultation/enquiry relevant to your research
• Ensuring that your evidence is submitted in a clear way that meets the requirements of the department or Committee
• Providing useful tips for producing both written and oral evidence
• Promoting your contributions through our social media and comms channels

Check the full list of training opportunities.