Communicating science is essential for our researchers and our society. When we fail to communicate the importance of our scientific discoveries, we miss an opportunity to help people understand the positive transformative effect of science on our societies.

Still, communicating science is challenging. Often, we scientists get stuck in jargon or on the nitty-gritty details of our science, making it difficult for a broad public to follow. For researchers, these are important details, but sometimes dwelling on excessive details derails scholars from sharing and explaining the main idea behind their discoveries. For example, what is the ‘so what’ of using a pioneering technology that can help us modify DNA? What is the impact that the discovery of a new beneficial microorganism will have on soil health for local farmers?

We have all attended a conference where a speaker presents in full detail her/his experimental design. However, this same speaker has to rush through the results of the discussions of their talk, leaving very little time for the audience to grasp the contents of her/his message fully. Getting the crowd’s attention, delivering the right message, and the tempo of our presentation are essential elements we should bear in mind to present with impact! Luckily, anyone can master these skills with a few valuable tips from the experts and much practice.

In addition, women scientists often lack sufficient opportunities to access career-development training to bring their research findings forward. Among others, missing the ‘spotlight’ of an international congress reduces the potential visibility by other researchers, colleagues, and even donors.