Events

Below are events that URMA members have shared that may be of interest. To see the details of an event click on the event in the calendar or view the entire listing below.

URMA Event Summary

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Dec

December URMA Live!

There and Back Again: UNC Research’s epic journey from print to digital to print

TIME: 2:00 pm—3:00 pm EST

FORMAT: Zoom

Alyssa LaFaro, URMA member and research communications manager at UNC-Chapel Hill, will share UNC Research’s “epic journey” from print to digital to print.

Her office was formed in 1984 to produce a research magazine called Endeavors three times per year. It did so successfully until 2012, when state budget cuts eliminated the magazine, forcing the office to reform into a digital communications shop. With much persistence and a passion for print, Alyssa and her graphic designer were able to bring back an annual print edition in 2019 and just produced their sixth edition under a new name with new branding: UNC Research Stories.

Alyssa will share the story of this evolution, including her strategy for pitching a print magazine to research administrators, what kind of team it takes to produce a print magazine in house, their distribution plan and recent rebrand, how the print edition is used to complement online content, and much more.

Nov

November URMA Live!

Global insights into university research communication practices

TIME: 2:00 pm—3:00 pm EST

FORMAT: On-Line

URMA member Justin Shaw, UK-based Chief Higher Education Consultant at Communications Management, has been undertaking a review of university research communications around the world. In this session he’ll provide an update on his latest findings, building on the preliminary work he presented at URMA 2023 in Philadelphia. Justin will cover different comparative insights relating to: roles and resourcing; methods, channels and tactics; integrated campaign approaches and examples; and measurement and reporting. His work on this continues and he now has funding to expand this project over the next two years in order to feed into the evolution of best practice by those who lead on design and policy for research communications. He’ll also ask members about what else they’d like to see addressed through his investigations – so this will also be a chance to bring along your own list of ideas and opportunities.

PAST EVENT

Oct

2nd Annual Schoenberg Lectureship in partnership with Science Sundays: “Shooting the messenger: ‘Antisense’ therapies for rare diseases”

2nd Annual Schoenberg Lectureship in partnership with Science Sundays: “Shooting the messenger: ‘Antisense’ therapies for rare diseases”

TIME: 3:00 pm—5:00 pm EST

FORMAT: In-Person at Fawcett Event Center
2400 Olentangy River Rd.
Columbus, OH 43210
United States

Ongoing basic research to understand how cells decode the information present in our genes has recently made it possible to develop new types of drugs. We will discuss one of the key steps in this genetic decoding, namely how messenger RNA (mRNA) undergoes splicing. Splicing edits each mRNA to remove non-coding segments, so that the information it carries can be used to make a protein. We will also discuss how mRNA splicing can be precisely manipulated with designer drugs called antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), for example to correct defective splicing in the context of disease. One notable example we will discuss is an ASO drug that is being used to prevent or treat a deadly neurodegenerative disease.

This event is free and open to the public.

PAST EVENT

Sep

September URMA Live!

Applying the tools of fiction editing to improve your scicomms

TIME: 2:00 pm—3:00 pm EST

FORMAT: On-Line

Communicating about science is a special skill, but nonfiction writers and editors have plenty to learn from the world of fiction. At our September URMA Live!, URMA board member Kathryn Jepsen will demonstrate how to use fiction editing techniques to improve a piece of science writing.

PAST EVENT

Jul

July URMA Live!

A Deep Dive into Generative AI

TIME: 2:00 pm—3:00 pm EST

Has anyone told you that “ChatGPT isn’t going to take your job, but someone who can use ChatGPT will”? At our July URMA Live!, URMA board member Kathryn Jepsen will take a critical look at this sentiment while examining how generative AI and large language models work, how chatbots like ChatGPT were trained, how they can go wrong, and how they’re a part of a larger change to the internet. Tune in to get tips and share in discussion following the presentation.

PAST EVENT

Jun

June URMA Live!

June 2024 URMA Live!: Annual Conference recap

TIME: 2:00 pm—3:00 pm EST

FORMAT: Zoom

Join URMA to hear about and discuss the recent annual conference at UNC-Chapel Hill. Four conference attendees—Adria Amos, Emma Candelier, Heather Noel, and Brianna Shepard—will share their experiences and takeaways. We’ll then open the floor for discussion and exchange, including suggesting topics you want to learn more about, perhaps at a future URMA Live!

This event is open to all URMA members, whether or not you attended the meeting. Hope to see you there.

PAST EVENT

May

CONFERENCE

URMA 2024 at UNC

TIME: 10:00 am—12:00 pm EST

FORMAT: In-Person at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
United States

Join us for URMA 2024 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill! You’ll connect with colleagues from universities and institutions who communicate about research through online and print magazines, media relations, social media, videos, podcasts and more. Our conference features practitioners in realms such as journalism, design, photography, multimedia and other areas relevant to telling the stories of research. If you communicate about your institution’s research, URMA’s annual conference is for you.

MODERATOR: Alyssa LaFaro,

PAST EVENT

Apr

April URMA Live!

Speed networking

TIME: 2:00 pm—3:00 pm EST

Polish up those networking skills in time for this year’s URMA Annual Conference. Gail McCormick of Penn State University, URMA’s Secretary, will facilitate a virtual networking session so we can get to know one another better in small groups (via breakout rooms) and discuss issues of mutual interest before many of us gather at UNC-Chapel Hill next month. All should feel welcome to join, whether or not you’re attending the conference.

MODERATOR: Gail McCormick, Penn State University and URMA’s Secretary

PAST EVENT

Mar

AppSciComm Storytelling Series: Beyond the News Release

AppSciComm Storytelling Series: Beyond the News Release

TIME: 4:00 pm— EST

PIOs are often tasked with finding ways to highlight their institution’s expertise. This session is aimed at discussing ways to do this that don’t rely on traditional news releases. We’ll talk about both formats for highlighting expertise and how to generate story ideas. (Hint: it’s helpful if you know some curious kids!)

MODERATOR: Christina Dierkes,

PAST EVENT

Mar

March URMA Live!

URMA Annual Conference preview

TIME: 2:00 pm—3:00 pm EST

FORMAT: On-Line

This year’s conference organizer, Alyssa LaFaro of UNC Chapel Hill will give us an in-depth preview of the events she and other members and partners are planning for May. Bring your questions and get ready to register and book your room! If we have time left over we will open the floor for general discussion among membership.

PAST EVENT

Feb

February URMA Live!

Research Crisis Communications Planning

TIME: 2:00 pm—3:00 pm EST

FORMAT: Zoom

Lindsay Lewis of the Baylor College of Medicine will host this discussion, including Julie Kiefer of University of Utah Health and Catherine Zandonella of Princeton University, on how to prepare yourself, your leaders, and your institution for challenging times.

Please register in advance for this meeting on Zoom:
https://upenn.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwlde-prTgrEtVuyiCzTlEIFph0oI-Ime2S

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

I look forward to seeing you then and there!

MODERATOR: Lindsay Lewis, Research Communications Strategist (Lead)

PAST EVENT

Jan

January URMA Live!

What’s on Your Professional Development Calendar?

TIME: 2:00 pm—3:00 pm EST

FORMAT: Zoom

Our January URMA Live!, coming up on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 2 p.m. Eastern, will offer a round up of members presenting about the conferences they attend for professional development. I’m still looking for presenters, so if you’re willing to share a brief explanation of a conference you’ve attended in the last couple of years and what you got out if it, let me know! It could be one of the usual suspects (NASW, AAAS) or something more out-of-the-box.

MODERATOR: Katherine Baillie, Interim Director, Environmental Innovations Initiative

PAST EVENT

Dec

December URMA Live!

That’s a Wrap! Conference announcement, URMA web tour & your best projects of the year.

TIME: 2:00 pm—3:00 pm EST

FORMAT: Zoom

For December, log on to receive a tour of URMA’s beautiful new website and to hear an announcement about the 2024 URMA Annual Conference. If we have time, we will also open the floor so you can share projects from the last year of which you are particularly proud.

PAST EVENT

Nov

November URMA Live!

Understanding where your audience comes from: UTM codes, QR codes, GA4 and more

TIME: 2:00 pm—3:00 pm EST

FORMAT: Zoom

Catherine Zandonella of Princeton University will guide us through our next URMA Live, focused on understanding your audience. Technology like UTM codes, QR codes, Google Analytics, and other platforms offer powerful ways to gather data. Learn how your peers are using these tools and share your experiences to improve your content and your reach.

In addition, I’m happy to report that the recording from last month’s URMA Live, on generative AI applications in research communications, is now up on the members-only page of the URMA website: https://urma.org/resources/urma-live-videos/.

MODERATOR: Catherine Zandonella, Senior Associate Director for Communications

PAST EVENT

Sep

September URMA Live!

Research Newsletters

TIME: 2:00 pm—3:00 pm EST

FORMAT: Zoom

At our next Live, we’ll discuss a topic that is relevant for many URMA members: research newsletters. Who is producing them and how do you make them great? URMA Member Beth Potier of the University of New Hampshire will moderate a panel discussion to highlight a few examples of stand-out research newsletters and explore audience development, platform selection, content strategy, metrics, and more. There will be plenty of time for Q&A to learn from panelists and one another. Join us!

MODERATOR: Beth Potier, Marketing, Elliott Alumni Center

PAST EVENT

Aug

August URMA Live!

URMA Conference Recap

TIME: 2:00 pm—3:00 pm EST

FORMAT: On-Line

At our next Live, URMA members will share highlights from the Annual Conference at the University of Pennsylvania. Leah Hesla will moderate and Christina Hernandez Sherwood and Christie Kennedy will talk over their experiences before opening up a general discussion about conference learnings. We’ll also reserve time to go over post-conference survey results. And, if desired, the board and former conference hosts will be able answer questions about applying to host a conference. (Proposals are due August 25!)

PAST EVENT

Jul

CONFERENCE

SciPEP 2023: New Insights for Communicating Basic Science

TIME: 11:00 am—4:00 pm EST

SciPEP 2023 will take place July 25-26, 2023. Join with other science communication scholars, practitioners, and trainers to explore new insights and generate ideas and opportunities to advance basic science communication research and practice.

This virtual event is free and open to the public.

PAST EVENT

Jun

WORKSHOP

2023 Summer Grant Writing Workshops

TIME: 8:00 am—2:00 pm EST

This 8-week USF Summer Grant Writing Workshop is designed to guide grant seekers through the basics of the application process to develop competitive proposals. Join us to learn the latest in grant writing techniques and strategies to attract funding for your projects. Participants will be provided access to the Research Resources that include grant templates and sample proposals, as well as the Training Activity Guide (TAG). Walk through the grant application process with us this summer because your research matters.

PAST EVENT

May

May URMA Live!

How to create short-form videos that make viewers curious about science!

TIME: 2:00 pm—3:00 pm EST

FORMAT: Zoom

This month, meet chemistry teacher and TikTok star Phil Cook, who will talk about how to create short-form videos that make viewers curious about science!

At the suggestion of a student, Cook began filming science demonstrations for TikTok as @ChemTeacherPhil in 2019. The following year, he racked up multiple millions of views with his first viral video. He continues to share his love of science with an audience of 3.9 million followers.

MODERATOR: Kathryn Jepsen, Editor-in-Chief, Symmetry Magazine, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

PAST EVENT

Apr

URMA Conference Travel Grant Deadline

URMA Conference Travel Grant Deadline

TIME: 8:00 am—5:00 pm EST

The University Research Magazine Association is pleased to announce the Nick Houtman Travel Grants for the annual URMA Conference. Travel grants cover half of URMA conference travel expenses – up to $1,000. This year’s conference at the University of Pennsylvania hosted by Team Penn will be amazing. Registration is online at https://urma.org/2023-conference.

Travel grant recipients are required to submit a brief synopsis of their experiences at the conference to be posted to the URMA website. Priority will be given to URMA members who have not attended the conference. Members who have received a travel grant in the past are not eligible.

The deadline to apply for a travel grant is Friday, May 5. Recipients will be notified by May 12.

The travel grant application is attached. To apply, please return it to me at lindsay.lewis@bcm.edu.

PAST EVENT

Apr

April URMA Live!

URMA Conference Sneak Peak

TIME: 2:00 pm—3:00 pm EST

FORMAT: Zoom

At our next Live, URMA members Katie Baillie, Michele Berger and Heather Davis will give an overview of the exciting program they have planned for our annual conference, June 13–16, at the University of Pennsylvania. We also will provide information on URMA travel grants.

MODERATOR: Katie Baillie, Senior Science News Officer

PAST EVENT