FAQs and Suggestions for Speakers
Chalk Talk FAQs
During a Chalk Talk, a presenter leads an informal seminar with chalk and a board as the only visual aid. Harvard students, postdocs, staff, and faculty gather to share, discuss, and productively critique the latest and greatest work-in-progress and evolving stories from the many labs around campus.
Chalk Talks are free and open to both Harvard affiliates and the broader microbial science community. No advanced registration is required.
We would be thrilled to hear about your work! Please reach out to MSI if you're interested in presenting your research in a Chalk Talk.
Suggestions for Speakers
If you've never given a chalk talk, you are not alone! Often, the first ever opportunity to give such a talk is during a high-stakes situation like faculty job interviews. However, this engaging seminar format need not be relegated to only faculty hopefuls. Chalk talks are great because, ideally, the stripped-down format (no tech!) forces the presenter to communicate the what, why, and how of their research in a clear, concise, and conversational way.
Key things to remember:
- This is a true chalk talk. The media are chalk and words!
- While there are 55 minutes allotted, we suggest that speakers prepare no more than 30 minutes of "agenda." That leaves time for a conversational flow with questions and answers during the talk.
- The topic for your presentation is completely up to you, but we encourage debate, problem-solving, and knowledge-sharing in this forum.
- Please do not think of this as a chance to give "a seminar without slides." Instead, you can consider it more akin to a conversation you are having with many friends over many cups of coffee.
Perhaps the best way to get good at chalk-talks is to see great chalk talks, so make sure to attend regularly! For a little more guidance on your first time, you can try adapting the pointers from this article to a scale that is relevant to your career stage and research scope.