Research How-To Workshop Guide
Research How-To Workshops are events organized to help BU’s research community build their research toolkit. Sessions are typically organized around finding funding, conducting research, bringing ideas to market, promoting research, and building more diverse and equitable research environments.
These events come in all shapes and sizes. Most often, they are organized as a lecture or in a panel format. The Office of Research invites members of the BU community to attend, including faculty, staff, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars.
If you are interested in hosting an event, please contact research@bu.edu or send us your proposal using the topic suggestion form.
To learn more, browse upcoming events or see below for additional resources on planning.
Information for Hosts
I’m interested in hosting a workshop. How should I organize my event?
The Office of Research can help you to determine an appropriate format. Your workshop may cover best practices, case studies, resources, or tools of value to faculty, staff, and students engaged in research at the University. Common topic areas include finding funding; managing grants; conducting research; mentoring trainees; bringing ideas to market; promoting work; and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in a research context. At the end of the day, you are the subject expert and we will follow your lead.
Can you elaborate on the workshop format?
We typically recommend one of the following options. Please let us know if you have additional ideas and we will work to accommodate your suggestions.
Lecture
If you pursue a lecture-based event, you or the identified speaker will be responsible for presenting a specific topic. The presentation may teach the audience a particular skill (e.g., how to build a social media presence), provide information on general best practices or BU-specific processes or policies (e.g., how to work with international collaborators), present a personal case study or lessons learned (e.g., how to secure a large federal grant), and/or share resources with the group. At the end of your presentation, there will be time for the audience to ask questions.
Panel
If you’d like to organize a panel-based workshop, you must identify the panelists that can serve as experts. You will determine if the entire event will be Q&A-based or if each panel member will provide a brief presentation before Q&A commences. You will also be responsible for moderating a Q&A session with the group, including preparing questions ahead of time, and facilitating audience Q&A during the presentation.
Hands-on
While we encourage all event organizers to build in time for Q&A, some topics benefit from an even more hands-on or interactive format. This might look like a training that offers participants time to practice during the session, a discussion-based session with time carved out for breakout groups, or another format of your own devising.
What is my role at the event?
As the event organizer, we will ask you to serve as an event host. In this role, you will provide introductory and concluding remarks, and facilitate Q&A as needed. Depending on the event format you choose, you may also serve as a presenter.
How long are Research How-To Workshops?
We plan for workshops to run between one to two hours. When events are organized in person, we serve light refreshments.
What makes for a successful event?
The most successful workshops respond to an area of need within BU’s research community and find a personal or approachable way to address that need. This might include a case study or series of case studies focused on personal stories that can be mined for challenges and lessons learned, building in lots of examples and practical advice, or prioritizing participant engagement during the session to hold your audience’s attention.