For Scientists
Ring-a-Scientist is looking for undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, lecturers and professors of all disciplines. Only prerequisit: You should be keen to talk to students about your research and day-to-day life at university - easy and convenient via a video conferencing call during their classroom lesson.
Participating is simple:
- Click here to set up your profile. Don't worry, this only takes a few minutes and you can always log on to change it.
- You will receive an email notification when a teacher expressed interest to arrange a video conferencing call with you. Of course you can always reject an inquirey.
- In an (optional) brief test call you will get to know each other, agree on the content of the call and make sure the technical stuff works (e.g. using Skype, What's app). Then all is set for an exciting lesson. If you need any support, don't hesitate to contact us.
Frequently asked questions
What is in for me?
- A good answer to the question "How are you planning to communicate your research to a wider audience?" for your next grant application.
- More time for research. A video conferencing call can be into a standard working day in a flexible manner. Other forms of outreach, like open days or school visits, are much more time consuming.
- Lots of unexpected thought-provoking questions.
- The chance to reach many young people, to be a role model and to stand up for science.
My discipline is not taught in school. Can I register anyway?
Definitely! When registering, please enter indirectly related school subjects anyway so that your profile is easier to find for teachers.
It is especially important to make students aware of disciplines that they might not know from school. Only then they can make an informed choice about their future career path.
How often will I be contacted and how much time should I set aside for Ring-a-Scientist?
Some researchers do one video conferencing call per year, others participate several times a months. Your committment is very flexible. A video conferencing call lasts no longer than an hour. On top of that, you may sometimes with to have a brief chat with the teacher upfront or to prepare a little bit.
I am a (undergraduate/graduate) student and I would like to participate. Do I need to ask my supervisor for permission?
If you want to do video conferencing calls from your workplace, and possibly even show laboratory equipment, we strongly advise to speak to your supervisor.
How can I edit my profile or delete it?
You can edit your profile and your password at any time using your personal login. Just log on here. To delete your profile, please send us a brief message via the contact form.