Tim Requarth
science writer & educator
Speaking
Tim Requarth is a seasoned public speaker with a passion to help scientists write more efficiently and with less stress. Tim’s unique approach combines time-tested and research-backed writing advice with the latest AI tools.
Tim offers a range of public speaking and teaching services tailored to meet your needs — whether it's a seminar at a conference, a talk at a university, or an intimate workshop series for your team, Tim can deliver engaging and informative presentations in person or virtually.
Some of Tim’s past seminars
AI writing tools such as ChatGPT are here to stay. These powerful tools can generate sophisticated text from scratch or revise human writing. In this seminar, you’ll explore the power and pitfalls of using these tools, as well as how they can streamline your scientific writing process. We’ll also discuss how to use AI assistance ethically and responsibly.
Presenting data is among the most consequential skills of your career, yet most scientists receive little or no formal instruction in public speaking. In this workshop, we consider public speaking from the audience’s perspective to identify the key techniques that make a clear and persuasive presentation. You’ll learn how to structure the flow of scientific information, how to declutter visual design, as well as tips for how to prepare and deliver your talk.
Complex ideas do not require complex prose, yet much scientific writing seems designed to obscure the very ideas it most wishes to convey. In this workshop, we consider how sentence structure affects logic, clarity, and style. You’ll learn how to effectively place contextual and emphatic information, as well as how to link sentences to improve logical flow.
It’s no accident that when discussing research scientists casually ask each other, “What’s the story?” Effective scientific writing doesn’t merely present data—it develops an argument through observation and reasoning, all unfolding against an intellectual backdrop. In this workshop, we consider the kinds of scientific stories that will make your research better understood, easier to read, and more persuasive. We’ll also discuss the limits and ethics of scientific storytelling.
Science can move rapidly, and many turn to expert opinion on social media for the latest accurate information. Explanatory Twitter threads have emerged as a valuable tool for disseminating expertise within both academic communities and with the broader public. Building on Tim’s work at the Brown Institute for Media Innovation, this seminar will focus on explanatory techniques that help you communicate with funders, journalists, policymakers, and scientists outside your field.
A specific aims page makes the case in one page that your research is worth funding. Although a single page may not sound like much, its brevity is what makes it so challenging. In this workshop, we consider techniques to help your aims page stand out. You’ll learn how to position your research question, how to organize your approach, and how to emphasize your research’s impact.
Some of Tim’s past clients
Client testimonials
“I knew nothing about ChatGPT other than from the news. In a relatable, conversational delivery, Tim provided examples that illustrated the power of these new tech tools. I submitted a grant application yesterday and now wish I’d known more about ChatGPT before!”
-Attendee at “Using AI tools in your writing process,” Columbia University 5/2/23
“Tim always does a great job. Today's workshop was very useful and I liked the tight focus on sentences. It allowed us to narrow in and really talk about sentence structure instead of just broadly glossing over numerous topics. Looking forward to the next workshop.”
-Attendee at “Structuring Sentences for logic & clarity,” NYU 3/9/21
“Tim presented clear content that provided a framework for me to think about how to improve the narrative of my scientific writing. I really liked the organization of the material and the parallels drawn to non-scientific writing.”
-Attendee at “Telling Scientific Stories,” NYU 2/23/21