200 likes | 313 Views
A Guide to Attending Conferences/Meetings. Tim Lucas 23 rd November 2012. Introduction. Graduated UoB : BSc. Chemistry (2006) Graduated UoB : MPhil. Chemical Education (research) (2009) Currently: Final year PhD Student: Inorganic Chemistry PGMSA Committee – Marketing and Events 2012.
E N D
A Guide to Attending Conferences/Meetings Tim Lucas 23rd November 2012
Introduction • Graduated UoB: BSc. Chemistry (2006) • Graduated UoB: MPhil. Chemical Education (research) (2009) • Currently: Final year PhD Student: Inorganic Chemistry • PGMSA Committee – Marketing and Events 2012
Talks • Variety in Chemistry Education 2007 • Leicester University • Variety in Chemistry Education 2008 • Dublin City University,Ireland • Science Education Research in Higher Education • University of Glasgow • Total Scattering Training School 2013 • Diamond Light Source (Didcot)
Posters • RSC Solid State Group Christmas Meeting 2011 • Liverpool University. • The 2012 meeting of the British Zeolite Association • Chester University • International Union of Crystallography • Madrid • Diamond User Meeting 2010 • Didcot
What are Conferences? • A chance for academics to: • Present their own research • Network • Form research colorations • Exchange ideas • To socialise with other people in your field.
What Types of Conferences are there? • Some categorised on geography; • Regional (sub 100), • National (100s), • International (1000s). • Smaller conferences tend to be more specialised than international conferences. • Different lengths - from one day to a week. • There is no set structure to a conference.
Generic Components of a Conference • Talks (from 1 hour to 15 minutes) • Plenary lectures • Invited speakers • Contributed talks • Poster sessions. • Plentiful coffee breaks. • Conference dinner. • Going to the Pub. • Sight seeing.
Contributed Talks • It is very rare a PG Student will be invited to give a talk. This is typically for high profile academics. • PG students can typically apply for talks by submitting an abstract in advance. • Check the deadline dates! • Great experience and looks great on the CV. • Discuss with your supervisor.
Attending Talks • It is really important to attend talks but there may be times where one or two may not be of much use. • Discuss with the supervisor • Take a notepad and try and write down references if applicable. • Don’t be scared to ask a question • Don’t come in late or leave half way through.
Poster “Presentations” • Much easier to be given a slot for a poster presentation. • Not actually a presentation. • Brilliant opportunity to discuss your work. • Poster prizes = Good
Poster “Presentations” • Judges will be discrete so make sure you stand with/near your poster! • If you are not giving a poster presentation: • Check the list of posters beforehand. • Go and talk to people who are presenting!
Why Network? • Networking is a vital part of attending a conference. • Great for sharing ideas and setting up collaborations. • Really useful if you want to pursue a career in your field of research. • Be confident and don’t just sit in your hotel room!
Funding - Travel and Accommodation • Most studentships have money for students to attend conferences. • Your supervisor may suggest relevant conferences, or you can suggest some to them! • Check the conference website for more details. • Some will organise accommodation as part of the registration fee. • Studentships can be available.
Conference “Do’s and don’ts” • Do register early – May get early bird prices and better accommodation. • Do check abstract submission deadlines. • Do check the expectations of your supervisor. • Do check the programme before you travel. • Do try and identify people you would like to talk to. • Do attend the conference dinner and try and socialise as much as possible. • Do follow up any connections made.
Conference “Do’s and Don’ts” • Don’t be late to sessions. • Don’t be unprofessional. • Don’t dress inappropriately. • Don’t stick in a group of people you already know. • Don’t worry about other people knowing more than you. • Don’t try and un-necessarily change the timeslot of your talk or edit your abstract after submission. • Don’t forget to get your supervisor toread through your talk/poster.
Summary • Conferences are extremely useful for a variety of reasons. • Try and apply for poster presentations/talks. • Network, network, network! • Don’t be daunted and have fun!
Any Questions?Thanks for listening www.graduateschool.bham.ac.uk