How to pitch, perform and persuade – an overview

A three-hour research pitching workshop, in preparation for the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) and Pitch for Funds (P4F) competitions and research life beyond.

Get out of dry academic mode and embrace your inner storyteller. Rediscover the heart of your research, and your passion for it. Crack the pitch-writing code, and absorb some basic performance craft. Grasp the knack of connecting with an audience. Hatch your slide design. Pick up the particular skills of pitching for riches.

By the end of this workshop, participants will have an overview of how to:

• Describe their research in a way that captures the attention of and informs an audience, especially a lay-audience;
• Focus on the core principles of their research;
• Put their knowledge and enthusiasm for their subject into a presentation;
• Write a pitch;
• Utilise the basics of performance craft;
• Better connect with an audience;
• Design an effective slide which adds to a verbal presentation;
• Use the skills of pitching to access funds through competitions such as P4F, or in grant processes.

Facilitator: Peter Copeman

Peter is an award-winning senior lecturer in UC’s Teaching and Learning directorate, where he convenes the Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Education and supports professional development for academic staff. His current research and teaching interests include: the application of performance theory and practice to presentation skills and pitching, and to pronunciation and speaking skills in TESOL; and the development of a culture of students as partners/co-producers in teaching and learning. Previously he worked in student learning support and TESOL UC, ANU and the University of Queensland, and was a theatre academic at a number of Australian universities, following a fifteen-year professional career as a theatre director, playwright and vocal coach. Since 2011 he’s provided annual 3MT pitch training at UC, and since 2014 also at ANU and RMIT.

Co-facilitator: Bernie Bissett

Bernie Bissett was one three winners at the 2017 UC Pitch for Funds competition and took home the People’s Choice Award in 2015. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor in Physiotherapy at the University of Canberra, with 15 years’ experience as a physiotherapist specialising in intensive and acute care and clinical education. Bernie is also a fully qualified NHET-SIM (Simulation in Health Care) educator, and has completed advanced training in MaskED simulation. She was the invited Keynote Speaker at the ACT Allied Health Symposium (2015) on Patient-Centred Care and is frequently invited to speak at medical and nursing intensive care conferences nationally and internationally (e.g. Seventh International Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Conference, San Diego 2014). Bernie’s clinical PhD research through the University of Queensland focussed on early rehabilitation of intensive care patients, including targeted strengthening of breathing muscles.