Workshops and Transversal Skills Training
This page lists the most recently workshops offered within the PhD Programme.
These workshops are independent of the regular PhD courses and School meetings (which typically consist of one-hour seminars by guest scientists). In contrast, the workshops listed here are extended training activities delivered by external experts, and they focus mainly on soft and transversal skills that support high-quality scientific work, such as communication and specific professional competencies
UPCOMING / CURRENT EVENTS
19 may, 2026
open SEMINAR
Emmanuel Kuntsche –
“Why Nested Data Matters: From Multi- Group to Multi-Level Analysis”
An introductory seminar on nested data and advanced statistical techniques.
The seminar aims to provide an overview of typical research questions and to introduce the characteristics of nested data and advanced statistical techniques, using practical examples to support the application of theoretical knowledge. Although the seminar will address advanced statistical techniques, the requirements are relatively basic: participants should have some knowledge of regression and factor analysis, which will also be briefly introduced during the seminar.
📍Lecture Hall, Building #5 – ESU Student House, via Venezia, 20 (access at the rear of the building)
🕒 1 PM
13 may, 2026
open SEMINAR
Diana Miconi –
“ANOTHER WAY OUT? Preventing ideological violence among youth“
The surge in ideological violence among youth is presently jeopardizing social cohesion and perceptions of safety within educational institutions and in society at large, making the prevention of targeted forms of violence a pressing public health priority. Radical ideas and actions aimed at promoting or halting social and/or political change are an important motor of social change. Nonetheless, a better understanding of what can drive youth away from democratic means towards the legitimization of violence to reach their specific goals is crucial to tailor appropriate prevention programs. This is particularly important during adolescence, a seminal period for the development of ideologies and a time of heightened risk for violence. Within a developmental and public health perspective, this seminar will present how empirical research relying on quantitative (both person and variable-centered methods) and mixed-method approaches can provide unique insights into determinants of adolescents’ attitudes towards ideological violence, informing prevention efforts with youth.
📍School of Psychology Campus, HALL 2A – Psico2
🕒 1 PM
18-20 MAY, 2026
international METHODOLOGICAL school
3R’s of Trustworthy Science
3 R’s of Trustworthy Science is a school on replicability, reproducibility and robustness in science, taking place in Padova, Italy, from Monday, May 18 to Wednesday, May 20, 2026. The course offers an interdisciplinary perspective on the replicability crisis, covering its epistemological, philosophical, and statistical foundations, and combines lectures with guided group activities and hands-on sessions on real data analysis. The lecturers are Branden Fitelson, Giovanni Parmigiani, Filippo Gambarota, and Margherita Calderan. Participation is free upon request, subject to available places; applications are open until 20 April 2026.
📍School of Psychology campus, Via Venezia 8/16, Padua
📅 18-20 May, 2026
⏰ Application deadline: 20 April, 2026
🔗 Website: https://psicostat.github.io/3R-2026/
PAST EVENTS
24-25 MARCH + 13 APRIL 2026
Science communication and public-facing writing
Cristina Bellon –
“Making Psychology Accessible”
Effective Science Communication and Writing Techniques for PhD Students and Researchers
Intensive 12-hour workshop for doctoral students and early-career researchers who want to make their research understandable beyond the academic community. Participants will rewrite their own research projects in accessible language and practise concrete communication strategies, including analogies, metaphors and, where appropriate, a touch of satire. The output of the workshop is an original public-facing science communication text, specifically a scientifically accurate and accessible press release based on one’s own research
Key information
⚠️The workshop will be held in Italian
● Total duration: 12 hours (3 sessions)
● Dates and times: 24 March 2026, 14:00–18:00; 25 March 2026, 09:00–13:00; 13 April 2026, 14:00–18:00
● Hands-on deliverable: final press release based on your own research (draft up to 3,000 characters, spaces included)
● In-session micro-task: 300-character public-facing post (title, subheading, abstract)
● Attendance requirement: full attendance at all three sessions
● Note: AI tools for drafting/editing are not permitted
Session 1 – Unlocking the Pen: Writing to Be Read
Date: 24 March 2026, 14:00 – 18:00
Duration: 4 hours
Objective: To introduce doctoral students to the potential of science communication as a key to academic and outreach skills.
Content:
• Difference between academic writing and public-facing science writing
• The role of the researcher in society: thinking outside the box!
• The four golden rules for being understood: clarity, structure, rhythm, and style
• Narrative strategies to attract attention: analogies, metaphors, and a touch of satire
• Guided analysis of the structure of science communication articles in psychology (e.g. from Le Scienze, Mind, Corriere Salute, La Repubblica)
Session 2 – Workshop: Writing a Scientific Press Release
Date: 25 March 2026, 9:00 – 13:00
Duration: 4 hours
Objective: To learn the structure and technique of the scientific press release by drafting a tailored version based on one’s own research project.
Content:
• What is a press release? Its purpose, target audience, and typical structure
• Making a complex research topic newsworthy
• Headline, subheading, lead, body, quotations, closing: anatomy of an effective text
• Accessible language: avoiding jargon, using strong verbs, creating vivid imagery
• How to craft a narrative angle and identify a newsworthy element from an academic paper
Interactive activities:
• Individual mini-exercise: identify the news value within one’s research and draft a short public-facing post (300 characters), including title, subheading, and abstract
• Group feedback: sharing, analysis, and discussion of stylistic choices, strengths, and areas for improvement
At the end of this session, participants will have approximately one week to ten days to submit a full draft of their press release (maximum 3,000 characters, spaces included), which will be reviewed and discussed in the third session.
Session 3 – Feedback and Revision: Towards a Final Version
Date: 13 April 2026, 14:00 – 18:00
Duration: 4 hours
Objective: To refine and finalise the press release through peer and instructor feedback, revision, and rewriting.
Content:
• Feedback on submitted texts
• How to give and receive constructive feedback
• Five key questions to ask before publishing a text
• Editing techniques
Interactive activities:
• Public sharing: reading one’s own text aloud to the group
• Expert feedback: personalised analysis by the instructor
• Individual rewriting: producing the final version of the press release
Course Outcomes
By the end of the course, each participant will have produced a scientifically accurate and accessible press release based on their own research, supported by personalised feedback and practical tools for ongoing improvement. In addition to the final text, students will leave with a practical framework for communicating their scientific work to a range of audiences in diverse settings.
12 FEBRUARY 2026
OPEN SeMINAR
Silvia Bencivelli –
“Communicating Science in a Changing World”
The PhD Program in Psychological Sciences is delighted to invite you to a seminar on science communication held by journalist and science communicator Silvia Bencivelli. She will discuss how scientific research can be communicated clearly, accurately, and engagingly to diverse audiences, with a special focus on the responsibilities and challenges faced by scientists and journalists in today’s media landscape. With a background in medicine and a long-standing experience in science communication across newspapers, radio, TV and podcasts, Silvia Bencivelli regularly teaches and runs training courses on science writing and communication, and is considered one of the most recognizable Italian voices in public engagement with science.
📍T4 hall – CLA (Psico #4 building), Via Venezia 16, Padua
📅 12th of February, 2026, at 13:00 (1PM)