STEM Communication Training

Are you passionate about STEM communication? Do you want to enhance your ability to effectively convey complex scientific ideas to diverse audiences? 

We invite you to participate in an exciting $300 paid STEM communication training program tailored exclusively for UNC Charlotte graduate students.

About the Program:

We are thrilled to offer a STEM communication training program throughout the 2025-26 academic year. This program is designed to equip you with the necessary skills to articulate STEM concepts clearly and engagingly. Whether you’re pursuing a Master’s or PhD in the sciences, engineering, computer science, data science, mathematics, education, communication studies or any other field, this program is open to students from all disciplines. The effectiveness of this training is being evaluated through an NSF-funded research study (IRB-24-0530).

What You’ll Learn:

Throughout the program, you will delve into various aspects of STEM communication, including:

  • Simplifying complex STEM topics for diverse audiences
  • Delivering STEM presentations with clarity and enthusiasm
  • Writing about STEM subjects for public consumption
  • Utilizing multimedia tools like videos and data visualizations for effective communication
  • Combating misinformation in the scientific realm
  • Navigating cross-cultural and interdisciplinary communication challenges

Why Participate?

Strong communication skills can help you excel in job interviews, secure research funding, and be an effective collaborator and leader. STEM communication and engagement can help shape public perceptions and government policies related to science, technology, public health and more.

Here’s what some of the 2024-2025 STEM Communication Training participants had to say:

Whether this is with a dean of the college, a future colleague, or a stranger on the street with no knowledge of my work, I feel more confident in my ability to choose my approach to sharing my work appropriately with the given audience.

This training didn’t just sharpen my communication skills but even it reshaped the way I think about my role as a scholar and communicator…These skills make me not just a better job candidate, but a more responsible and adaptive professional
especially in an era where trust in science and clarity in communication are more important than ever.

Before, I wasn’t sure how to present complex ideas in simple ways without losing accuracy, but this course gave me tools and examples that made it feel doable…It feels good to know that what I’m working on could actually make sense and matter to people outside the lab.

Program Structure:

The program will span the entire 2025-26 academic year and will consist of:

  • 5 to 6 STEM Communication Canvas modules and associated assignments (~12 hours per module, asynchronous).
  • Workshops with industry experts (1-2 workshops per module, ~1 hour each).
  • 2 showcase events to demonstrate your newfound skills to the public and industry representatives (~4 hours total).
  • Participants will receive $300 upon successful program completion.

How to Participate:

Interested in honing your STEM communication skills and earning $300 while doing so? APPLY TODAY!