Pitches-in-progress: a session to help you write & deliver a research pitch

A three-hour research pitching workshop, in preparation for the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) and Pitch for Funds (P4F) competitions and research life beyond.

By completing this workshop, participants will have:

• a deeper understanding of how to structure their pitch script for audience impact;
• a clearer, more embodied sense of how to present and perform their pitch in an engaging and persuasive manner;
• an applied appreciation of the efforts of fellow participants in developing their pitches;
• some strategies for responding to audience/panel questions.

Come with your draft pitch script and slide* (or prop)#. Read your pitch to the whole group (you are not expected to have committed it to memory), and receive structured feedback both from the facilitators and from other participants. Develop the art of pitching not only from presenting your work-in-progress, but also by watching your co-participants’ pitches and giving them feedback.

Note: This is a co-operative learning experience. There is therefore an expectation that you will attend and participate in the full session, even though your own personal presentation and receipt of feedback will take only a fraction of the overall time.

*So the organiser can prepare the slide deck for the workshop in advance, please email two slides to Researcher Development by COB Monday 23 July. One will be your 'details' slide (which contains your name, Twitter handle, presentation title and Research Institute/Faculty) and the other will be your 'presentation' slide (where the use of a single image is recommended). Slides should be formatted in standard (16:9) dimensions.

Download the template for your 'details' slide (and overwrite the existing content): 3MT template and P4F template.

#A single slide is permitted in 3MT and P4F. If you don't wish to use a slide in P4F, props are an alternative. For more information and rules, visit the 3MT and P4F competition links at the top of this listing.

Guidance! If you are participating in 3MT, your script should be no more than 450 words long. If you are participating in P4F, your script should be no more than 225 words in length.

Facilitator: Dr Peter Copeman

Peter is an award-winning senior lecturer in UC’s Teaching and Learning directorate, where he convenes the Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Education and supports professional development for academic staff. His current research and teaching interests include: the application of performance theory and practice to presentation skills and pitching, and to pronunciation and speaking skills in TESOL; and the development of a culture of students as partners/co-producers in teaching and learning. Previously he worked in student learning support and TESOL UC, ANU and the University of Queensland, and was a theatre academic at a number of Australian universities, following a fifteen-year professional career as a theatre director, playwright and vocal coach. Since 2011 he’s provided annual 3MT pitch training at UC, and since 2014 also at ANU and RMIT.

Co-facilitator: Bernie Bissett

Bernie Bissett was one three winners at the 2017 UC Pitch for Funds competition and took home the People’s Choice Award in 2015. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor in Physiotherapy at the University of Canberra, with 15 years’ experience as a physiotherapist specialising in intensive and acute care and clinical education. Bernie is also a fully qualified NHET-SIM (Simulation in Health Care) educator, and has completed advanced training in MaskED simulation. She was the invited Keynote Speaker at the ACT Allied Health Symposium (2015) on Patient-Centred Care and is frequently invited to speak at medical and nursing intensive care conferences nationally and internationally (e.g. Seventh International Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Conference, San Diego 2014). Bernie’s clinical PhD research through the University of Queensland focussed on early rehabilitation of intensive care patients, including targeted strengthening of breathing muscles.