Giving talks on your research is part of the job, and from time to time you will give talks that include a government audience. So how do you make the most of an opportunity that could lead to funding?

What you want to do is turn the ‘talk’, something that starts out as a one-way delivery, into a conversation.

The opportunity to present your work to those within the government can be a first step towards getting funded, if you get the right conversations started. Or, if you have been funded, it could be a step towards additional support. While there are similarities in how you should prepare for a talk given on campus versus one to a government audience, there are also differences.

On campus, there are academics giving talks every hour of every day. Within the government, it can be a real treat to have a university professor come in to do a talk. Government researchers do great work, but due to rules and their other duties, they can’t move as quickly as you can at a university and, as a result they’ll look to you to update them on the cutting edge. You will be seen as more of a VIP than you might realize.

How do you make the most of these opportunities? Here are five points to get you started:

1. When preparing your talk, think not just about how you want to present the work, but also about how you can initiate a dialogue. Set the tone by asking questions of the audience within your talk. For example, ask for a show of hands to a simple question. If you are covering complex material, ask if anyone has a question before you move on.

2. Do not exceed the time allocated. This is worth repeating: Do not exceed the time allocated. Each agency has its own culture and some are more flexible with schedules, falling behind frequently. Others, however, value punctuality and will start and end on time. If you run over, or almost do, not only will you miss out on the chance for discussion, but you are going to stand out as being unprepared, even if in another setting running a little over would be seen as no big deal. The government is more oriented towards the clock than is academia.

3. Leave plenty of time for questions and discussion. Everyone says they want to do this, but few really do it. If you don’t leave time, you are missing a huge opportunity. In funding in general, you want to get conversations going. If you fail to leave time for that you will be missing the most important reason for giving the talk.

4. Think ahead about how you can collect the names of people asking questions, so you can follow up with them later. This might mean keeping a small notebook, or having someone else in the room (or on the call) to note who asked questions or expressed interest. Or, referring back to a recording if your talk was recorded.

5. Finally, follow up on the questions and discussion. This is what all of this is leading to. Your end goal should be new connections, collaborators and sponsors. Send relevant people an email within a day or two of the talk and ask to set up a time to continue the conversation. What you want to think about during these conversations is how you can help the government achieve its research goals.

These tips will help you the next time you are invited to speak to a government audience. Here’s one more: don’t wait to be invited -- inquire about giving your talk!

Workshop for New Faculty & Researchers

For the Society of Research Administrators International (SRAI) PI Intensive for New Faculty and Researchers: Building the Tools for Your Career in Research

This day-and-a-half workshop will take place in Chicago on October 24-25th .

We will dive into topics such as

✔️ Understanding the responsibilities of a principal investigator

✔️ Developing competitive grant applications

✔️ Negotiating effectively with your institution

✔️ Employing project management approaches in research

I am co-leading this event. Please see this page for more information and to register. Note that this is an SRAI (not a Wise Investigator) event.

It would be wonderful to meet some newsletter subscribers in person in Chicago. Please send me an email ([email protected]) if you have any questions. 👋 

When you are ready, here’s how we can help

Need to get your research funded, this year? Check out our 10-week program to get you there.

Want a done-for-you website that highlights your research impact? Let us do that for you. (We even write all the content for you!)

Ready to book a call to discuss our training, websites, or to have Dr. Barzyk provide training at your institution? Let’s chat!