📝 Scientist Briefing Notes

These notes will help you get the most out of your I’m a Scientist experience.
For any questions or issues not covered, please email support@imascientist.org.uk.

👋 Introduction

I’m a Scientist connects school students with people working in science. These connections help break down stereotypes of what a scientist is ‘supposed’ to be, supporting students to see STEM as something ‘for them’.

It’s all online and text-based, no audio or video. All you need is an internet connection – you can even join in on your phone.

There are three ways you will connect with students:

  1. Creating a profile for students to explore, to learn about you and your work
  2. Engaging them in conversations during live Chats
  3. Answering students’ follow-up questions

After their Chats, students can vote for their favourite scientists. We count votes once each half-term and award the winner ÂŁ500 to be spent on further public engagement.

You will also have the opportunity to join the Academy – our online CPD course which runs during school term time. In the Academy, you will learn more about the theory behind public engagement practices and reflect on your I’m a Scientist experience as it happens.



👤 Profile

Your profile helps students get to know you before your Chat. They’ll often come up with questions for you based on what’s in your profile. It includes pictures, information about you and your work, some interview-style questions, and a brief work history.

It’s important to fill out your profile as soon as possible so students can get an idea of who you are. Start by adding a profile photo so that we can begin inviting you to Chats. Make sure to keep your profile up to date, too.

To add to or edit your profile, click ‘Edit Your Profile’ at the top of your Dashboard (more about this below). When editing, remember to save regularly by clicking ‘Update Profile’ at the bottom of the page.

Please do not add links to personal social media accounts (e.g. usernames, X @handles, Instagram). This helps keep the school students’ interactions with you during the activity in a fully-moderated space, i.e. this website.

Profile tips:

  • Complete all sections: all of the information you give helps students relate to you
  • Add photos: pictures are a great way to give students an idea of who you are and what you do – but make sure you have permission to share them
  • Keep it short and simple: students visiting your profile will be between 9 and 18 years of age, so avoid jargon and keep your sentences short and easy to read

Everything you share on your profile will be immediately publicly available. You can choose not to answer any questions you’re not comfortable with, and adjust who can view your profile if you’d like to.

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💻 Dashboard

Here, you’ll find your upcoming Chats, unanswered Chat invites and the follow-up questions you’ve received from students. 

You are in control of your participation. Log in and visit your Dashboard regularly to check for new follow-up questions and Chat invites.


Accepting Chat invites

Once you’ve added a profile photo, you’ll begin to receive Chat invites. Teachers will choose a theme for their students’ activity and you’ll be invited to join a Chat if the theme for a class’s activity matches one of the themes listed on your profile.

You selected your themes when you signed up, and we may have assigned you some additional themes for related topics or special events. If you would like to update your themes, please email support@imascientist.org.uk.


Check your Dashboard regularly to see and manage your Chat invites:

  • Select the ✅ to Accept an invite and let the students and teacher know that you’ll be attending their Chat
  • Select the ❌ to Reject an invite to any Chats you can’t attend – this informs the students and teacher that you can’t make it, and lets us invite other scientists instead

You can always change your mind if your availability changes!


There is a limit to the number of invites you can Accept at any one time. After some of your Chats take place, this leaves space for you to Accept more upcoming Chats again.

You can add accepted Chats to your calendar by clicking on the calendar icon.

Unfortunately, sometimes a teacher has to cancel a Chat. If this happens, the Chat will disappear from your ‘Accepted Chat Bookings’ view. If you added this Chat to your personal calendar, it will not be removed automatically, so please remember to remove it manually.

We recommend that you only Accept one Chat per time slot.


Adjusting your availability

You’re in control of when and how often you take part. You’ll only be sent invites for Chats happening on dates that you have told us you are available.

Use the Unavailability Calendar to let us know which days you are unavailable to attend Chats. This allows us to send you more invites on days when you are available.

Use Chat Control to adjust the number of Chat invites you are receiving. Click ➕ to increase the number of Chats you can accept per week by one, or click ➖ to reduce your availability.

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💬 Chats

Chats are fast-paced and text-based, typically last 30 minutes, and are the most popular part of the activity. They are very often enjoyable, lively, and energetic. They provide an immediate connection between you and the students.

Teachers tell us that due to the text-based nature of the Chats, quieter students are more active than they would be in a face-to-face interaction, providing an interesting change to class dynamics.

This is an example of what you’ll see in a live Chat:


Taking part in Chats

When it’s time for your Chat, log into imascientist.org.uk and click on the ‘Chat’ icon.

Remember you have access to our other I’m a… projects too, so not all of your Chats will be in the same place. If you’re attending an I’m an Engineer, I’m a Mathematician, or I’m a Computer Scientist Chat, you’ll need to log in to join your Chat on the relevant site.

Each Chat will open 5 minutes before it is due to start. There will always be a member of our moderation team present to ensure Chats run smoothly. If you have any issues accessing a Chat, email us or call us as soon as you can on 01225 667922.


Navigating the Chat

  • Once you’re in the Chat, you can see who else is online on the left
  • At the top, you’ll see the time left until the Chat closes
  • In the top-right hand corner is ‘Show messages’ which you can click to see all messages you’ve been tagged in
    • Students are encouraged to use the tagging system, but some of them may ask questions by typing out your name
    • These will only appear in the main Chat window and not in your ‘Show messages’
  • Click ‘Reply’ on a message to tag the student in your response and thread your conversations
    • The speech bubble next to a message will allow you to see the conversation thread
  • Look out for the number indicator next to students’ names to see how many replies each student has had
    • If you notice a student with a relatively low number compared to others in the class, try to answer their questions before you get to others

Sometimes, if the Chat is moving fast and there are a lot of unanswered questions, the moderator will momentarily pause the Chat. This will prevent the students from sending new messages to give you and the other scientists a chance to catch up.


Chat tips

The text-based nature of Chats encourages students to ask questions about anything that’s important to them. Topics will range from the Chat theme, to your work and life as a scientist, to your personal life.

It’s likely that you’ll get some of the same questions being asked in different Chats. Remember that each Chat is with a different group of students who haven’t asked that question before. Not all students will have read your profile either, so don’t expect them to remember what you’ve said previously.

If you get asked a question in a Chat that you don’t know the answer to, then please say “I don’t know”! It’s useful for the students to see that scientists don’t know everything and that you don’t have to be ‘super smart’ to get a job in STEM.

In general, try to:

Keep it simple

  • Don’t use advanced technical language, and don’t worry about spelling mistakes – just enjoy the hustle and bustle of the Chat

Reply at the students’ level

  • You won’t know the age or ability of the students in the Chat, but you’ll be able to tell how much they do (and don’t) understand about your work by the way they ask questions and respond to your answers
  • Try to match their level of understanding in your messages

Go with the flow

  • Be aware that school students’ turn of phrase and use of language may be different to discussions you’re used to
  • Try to understand what they’re asking and don’t take offence at blunt questions
  • Some questions will be personal but answer them as best you can – this will allow students to connect with you

Keep an open mind

  • Questions like “Do you play video games?” may seem off-topic but they are important in showing students that scientists are ‘normal’ people with similar interests
  • Chatting with students about shared interests enables a rapport to be built

You may be asked questions about money. The majority of students who you will be in contact with don’t know scientists in their surrounding community. Therefore, questions like “How much money do you make?” are common and can really matter to them. The responses provide valuable career insight, so try to answer if you feel comfortable. You can always give a ballpark figure or industry average.

💡 Use emojis! Here’s how:

  • On Windows, simultaneously press the Windows logo key and . (period)
  • On Mac, simultaneously press Command, Control, and Space, or go to your browser toolbar > Edit > Emoji & Symbols

Keep an eye out for more top tips in blog posts, updates, and emails from us. The below video from the Wellcome Trust gives some handy pointers on language:

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❓ Follow-up questions

You’ll receive more questions from students outside of Chats. These questions may be something that a student ran out of time to ask, or a follow-up on something that came up during a Chat. Equally, browsing your profile might’ve sparked a thought that just can’t wait until the Chat. Some may come from students who weren’t able to attend their Chat with you.

It’s best to answer follow-up questions as soon as possible, while the students who asked them are still engaged in the activity. Answer questions by logging in and going to the ‘My Unanswered Questions’ sidebar on your Dashboard.

Some questions will be asked to all the scientists relevant to the theme, others may be specifically for you. Answering these follow-up questions is an important part of showing students that their questions matter and belong in a STEM context.

Once answered, students’ questions will be published on the Ask page. You, students, scientists, and other visitors to the site can browse these questions and answers, and may add comments.


Our moderation policy

Our moderators make sure all questions, whether in Chats or submitted via the Ask page, are in keeping with our House Rules. Any rude or offensive questions will be removed but challenging questions will be allowed.

All follow-up questions are moderated before they’re sent to you. Some may seem similar, but the moderators do try to remove duplicates, aiming to balance making your lives easy as participants and giving all students a chance to ask their own questions.

If there are questions you’re not sure about answering, please let us know by emailing support@imascientist.org.uk.

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🏆 Votes

Winners of I’m a Scientist receive £500 to put towards further public engagement. Students vote for the scientist they think should win the £500.

For students, considering who to vote for is an important part of the activity. It gives them a reason to think critically about the work scientists do and deepens their involvement in the activity. Please keep this in mind if they ask questions like “Why should we vote for you?” and when filling out your profile.

There’s no pressure for you to push for votes and no negative consequences for not winning, so you can take the Vote part of the activity as seriously as you like. We never publish the number of votes given to each scientist.

Spending the prize money

The prize money can be used for anything involving people outside of science. Some examples could be school visits, science fair exhibits, videos or podcasts, blogs, or arranging class visits to your lab or office.

You can see what past winners did here ❯

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🎓 The Academy

The Academy is our short online CPD course. By taking part, you’ll get the opportunity to evidence and reflect on your I’m a Scientist experience. It is text-based, just like the Chats, and can be done at your own pace throughout the school year.

You can find out more here. If you are currently taking part in I’m a Scientist and would like to participate in the Academy, please email support@imascientist.org.uk.

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🔍 The small print

By accepting your invitation to I’m a Scientist you are agreeing to these terms and conditions ❯

We think you’ll agree with them, but it’s best to be sure, so please have a read.

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☎️ Contact us

Please let us know if you’re having any issues. You can email us at support@imascientist.org.uk.

You can also connect with us on LinkedIn or BlueSky

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