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Eligibility, Rules and Judging Criteria

Who is eligible?

The Sussex Dragons’ Den is open to early career researchers (ECRs) at the AVÊÓƵ.

ECR is defined as staff on research-only contracts at grades 6-8, broadly encompassing research assistants, postdoctoral researchers and research fellows. We will prioritise ECRs on fixed-term research contracts but this call is also open to lecturers within the first three years of their permanent position.

• This application is for staff members only. Postgraduate researchers are not eligible to apply. Applicants must be AVÊÓƵ staff at the time of application and for the duration of the proposed research project.
• Applications are welcome from individuals or groups of researchers. 
• We will prioritise bids that support the development of external funding applications, either by an individual or by an interdisciplinary group of researchers that have identified new and exciting research ideas.

We recognise that our researchers have a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. We encourage applications from everyone in the community, including those groups who are under-represented in research at our institution.

If you have a query about your eligibility please contact researchstaffoffice@sussex.ac.uk.

Rules

• Participants must present in person, not virtually, and must attend the training and peer practice sessions as well as the semi-final and final itself.
• Participants must discuss the proposed research with their PI or recruiting manager and receive their support before applying.
• PowerPoint slides are permitted, though one or two clear slides are strongly suggested. Slide transitions, animations and movement are allowed. 
• Additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted as part of your pitch but should not take up the bulk of the presentation.
• Additional props are permitted, feel free to be creative!
• Presentations are limited to five minutes before Dragons' questions. You will be asked to stop your presentation if you go over time.
• Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g. no poems, raps or songs).
• Presentations are to commence from the stage.
• Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter begins through either movement or speech. 
• The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

Selection criteria

Applications will be assessed based on the following criteria, which are reflected in the application form:

Significance and Impact of the proposed research

• The proposed research clearly demonstrates academic, societal or economic impact.
• The proposed research is likely to lead to the development of an external funding application.
• The core of the proposed research is not already funded by internal or external funding streams. 

Engagement and Communication

• The presentation is delivered clearly, the language and the slide (if any) is appropriate for a non-specialist audience.
• The presenter conveys enthusiasm for their proposed research, capturing and maintaining the audience’s attention.
• The presenter is able to engage with the Dragons’ questions and answer in a convincing manner.

You will be asked to consider how you will conduct the proposed research with a lower investment of £1,000, as well as the winning prize of £2,000. We recognise that this funding may not go far for lab-based research projects. Proposals for scoping or pilots for larger projects are welcome.

Training session

Date & Time: Monday 20 May 2024, 09:30 – 13:00
Location: Campus 

About the trainer - Sam Knowles

Insight Agents was founded in 2013 by Sam Knowles, who is the Managing Director and Chief Data Storyteller. Insight Agents is a specialist data storytelling consultancy, helping all sorts of organisations make smarter use of data. Sam Knowles is the author of the trilogy of books published by Routledge, which comprises (2022), (2020), and (2018).

Sam has a doctorate in Experimental Psychology, a source of both his understanding of human motivation and behaviour and his love of telling stories with data. He is a fellow of both the  and the , and a professional member of both the Market Research Society and the Public Relations & Communications Association.

Workshop Description

This workshop focuses on effective communication of research and data, guided by the Six Golden Rules of Data Storytelling that feature in Sam’s 2018 book, Narrative by Numbers. These are:

• Know your audience
• Keep it simple – yet smart
• Beware the Curse of Knowledge
• Find and use only relevant data
• Balance the emotional and the rational
• Talk ‘Human’

This half-day session will  be both theoretical and applied, with delegates exposed to deeply practical templates and tried-and-tested frameworks they can use straightaway as they prepare to present their work at the ECR Symposium.

The workshop will include three, core exercises. The first and third of these would be storytelling exercises using different templates, progressively applying more of the Golden Rules; the second will see participants writing a pen portrait of one of their most important stakeholder groups, an exercise which helps to bring the audience into the room and make research communication sharper and more empathetic.

The storytelling workshop includes a section at the end  on establishing a perfect pitch. Using a well-established and highly effective pitch template – HOOK / PROBLEM / SOLUTION / OPPORTUNITY / APPLICATION / ASK –  participants will then  be exposed to good-practice pitches and encouraged to write and then refine their own pitch after the workshop.

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