Science at Cal logoScience at Cal is in search of speaker participants for Grounds for Science, a lecture series specifically showcasing graduate student research and talent. For over ten years, Science at Cal has provided opportunities for UC Berkeley scientists to share their research with diverse public audiences through science lectures, cafes, street fairs, farmer’s markets, festivals and other free public events. In 2021 we hosted ten graduate student speakers who spoke on a variety of topics, from The Impacts of Food Trade to The Bees’ Disease.

This year, we are looking for volunteers to present their research at a 2022 Grounds for Science, which will take place in-person in a local East Bay cafe. If you are interested, please fill out this form to let us know and we’ll be in touch with more details!

quarantini mocktail recipe listMost lecture series recruit professors and senior researchers, so this is an excellent opportunity for you to gain experience in communicating your graduate work or an interesting aspect of your field to a broad audience. At each event, two speakers each give a 12-15 minute presentation with Q&A in between. These talks are informal, fun, low-pressure, big-picture, and they provide a direct means to engage in scientific discussion with a curious and enthusiastic lay-audience. We even engage in fun activities like trivia, quizzes, and even cocktail and mocktail recipes.

What makes Grounds for Science so special?

Our Grounds for Science events also give you the opportunity to practice your science communication skills. You will get one-on-one science communication training, and during practice runs, you’ll get direct advice and input from Science at Cal’s scicomm professionals. 

ESPM PhD Candidate, Sarah Hartman, said of her experience giving a Grounds for Science talk, “The greatest impact of the program for me was the help in crafting an accessible and engaging presentation about the science I do every day. Sometimes during the PhD, it can become easy to get lost in the research; Science at Cal does a phenomenal job coaching graduate students and preparing them to give compelling public talks about science.”

Sarah Hartman quote

While all of Science at Cal’s events attract a diverse audience—ranging from high school students, to government and private-sector professionals, to members of the media, to retired individuals—this is especially true for Grounds for Science.

Please share this opportunity with grads across your network, and feel free to email [email protected] if you have any questions.