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

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.

What Types of Conferences are there?

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 to read 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