“I’m a Scientist is a unique way to communicate your science and engage with young people from across the UK. It is a chat room style format, where school students can ask questions to scientists about specific topics they are learning about in school, or any kind of science questions they might have.

I found out about “I’m a scientist” when researching ideas for the Global Citizenship requirements for my Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) course. Although I ended up doing a different activity for this part of my DTP, I found the concept for I’m a Scientist really intriguing and signed up to the platform. I really enjoyed being part of different outreach programmes, such as the Norwich Science Festival and volunteering in schools, so I wanted to give something new a go!

Online outreach

I’m a Scientist is a fun and relaxed format to discuss with young people about all thing’s science.

There are typically about five scientists in each chat room and anywhere from 10 to 30+ students. Plus the chat rooms are always moderated by someone from an “I’m a scientist” and the class teacher, so there is always support for you if needed.

I’m a Scientist” is a really easy way to dip your toes into science outreach and communication. You don’t have to do anything face-to-face and the format of the chatrooms is so dynamic and engaging. You never have to worry about not knowing an answer, the other scientists in there with you will probably be able to help you answer, and if all else fails you can always quickly google things.

One of the highlights of taking part is often during a chat there will be one or two students that have a genuine interest in my research topic or area of science. Often I find myself having more of a 1:1 discussion with certain students, within the chatroom, and these are so thought provoking and fun to see how passionate some students are about your area of research. This helps to reinvigorate my passion for my research and my work and often I return to the lab with more motivation and drive for my work after a chat!

Many times, during the chats that I have participated in students will ask about our lives outside of science and it is great to talk about hobbies outside of work with them. It makes things feel more personable and genuine.

I used to do dancing for 18 years. It is always a highlight when one of the students also loves to dance – it helps them to realise that you can be a scientist but also enjoy dancing and music and other hobbies too. It helps the students to see that science can be for them too, and they see themselves reflected in you.

Fun and flexible

For me personally, it has been quite easy to fit in taking part in “I’m a scientist” with my PhD and lab work and I had support from my supervisor and institute who are supportive towards engaging in outreach opportunities.

On your “I’m a scientist” dashboard you can select exactly which chats you want to participate in and how many chats you do per week/month. It is entirely personalised to your schedule. You can select days you are particularly busy, and you won’t be sent any chat requests for those days. You can also change your mind and reject chats you had previously accepted and vice versa, depending on how your schedule changes.

I tend to select chats that fall over lunch breaks or during incubation times in my experiments. It’s a really easy way to use this time for something productive and I always seem to come away from the chats with a renewed determination for my work. Chats only last 30 minutes and I find that this is the perfect length to fit into my schedule too.

Developing communications skills

Taking part in “I’m a Scientist” had been a really fun and rewarding experience, although my first chat that I participated in was really daunting.

I have developed my communication skills; I have learned how to engage young people in science and also what they are interested in and want to learn about. I have learned how to adapt my communication style to answer off-the-cuff questions effectively.

Communicating with school age children is a whole different ballpark, and especially when you have a large group of them, and you really have to learn to adapt your communication style to engage with them. You get questions from the students as they think of them, so you really have to think on your feet sometimes. All the questions asked are in the moment and often straight off the top of the student’s head, so being prepared to answer anything in a clear but also friendly way takes a lot of skill.

Reflecting on research

I have learned a lot about the issues that concern the next generation. A lot of the questions I am asked are typically around future pandemics, curing and treating chronic diseases and cancers as well as the future of medicine and human life. It is great to have this insight into what students think the next major concerns in society will be.

I find myself coming away from the chats having learned something new, either from one of the students or from one of the other scientists in the chat too. It is really interesting to (virtually) meet other scientists from different backgrounds and stages of their career and completely different fields to yourself and find so much in common with them too.

I have come away from this experience thinking differently about my research. Simple things to me, such as experimental protocols, how I record my data and why I am researching specific topics, are completely novel to the students I’ve chatted to. Their interest and enthusiasm for why and how I do my research has helped me to think differently about some of my work and also to approach my experiments with fresh eyes. It has really helped me as a researcher; in a way I did not expect!

Finally, if you’re thinking about taking part in I’m a Scientist! be prepared to be asked anything and everything! What is your favourite sandwich? What you had for tea last night? What is your favourite stage of mitosis? If you weren’t a scientist what would you be doing? The students just want to get to know you and your job, so really anything goes.”