This module is for anyone who communicates on behalf of an ELIXIR Node – which, if you coordinate a project, lead a work package or represent your Node anywhere, includes you. You don’t need “communications” in your job title, and you don’t need any previous training.
It won’t turn you into a communications professional. It will help you communicate more deliberately, use what ELIXIR already provides and know when to ask for help.
Where do you want to start?
Take the whole module, or a shorter pathway for your role. On a pathway, the chapter pages guide you through it – each one shows your step and the next chapter on your route – and you can leave it at any time.
Full module
Every chapter, in order
The complete picture. Choosing this clears any shorter pathway.
- Includes 11 chapters
- About 2 h 35 min
Pathway
New to communications
Start with the essentials – why it matters, who it's for and how to write for them.
Start this pathwayPathway
New to ELIXIR
Find the people, channels and shared resources the network already has.
Start this pathwayPathway
Making materials this week
Get a flyer, slide deck or post right – on brand and readable by everyone.
Start this pathwayPathway
Planning or reporting
Set priorities, show your impact and turn it into a plan you can run.
- Includes 3 chapters Chapter 2Chapter 10Chapter 11
- About 50 min
The chapters
11 chapters about 2 h 35 min in total
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Foundations of communication in research infrastructures Communication is already happening in your Node – the question is whether it's working. Find out the answer and how to improve it.10 minutes
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Understanding your audience Saying the right thing to the wrong audience is as ineffective as saying nothing at all. Learn how to tailor your messages.20 minutes
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Collaboration and resource sharing Whatever communication challenge you're facing, someone in the network has most likely already solved it. Find out more.10 minutes
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ELIXIR communications ecosystem Knowing ELIXIR's channels exist is not the same as knowing when and how to use them. Test your knowledge.10 minutes
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Accessibility Accessibility is not a design add-on – it's how you make sure everyone can actually read, hear and use what you communicate, in every format.20 minutes
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Writing for non-writers You don't need to be a professional writer – you need to know what you're trying to say and who you're saying it to. Improve your writing style.15 minutes
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Branding Using ELIXIR branding well – and knowing the cases where the right call is to adapt it, or not to use it at all.10 minutes
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Graphic design for non-designers You won't become a designer – but with templates, AI tools and an eye for what "good" looks like, you don't need to.15 minutes
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Automation and tools for efficient outreach You don't have time to do everything by hand. A few free tools, set up once, buy back hours every week.15 minutes
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Storytelling and impact measurement Good work doesn't speak for itself. Tell the story of what changed, and show the evidence it landed.15 minutes
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Putting it all together: your strategy canvas Turn everything in this module into one actionable page – objectives, audiences, messages, channels and measures, connected.15 minutes
You don’t have to go in order. Every chapter stands on its own – use the buttons at the bottom of each page to move through the module, or jump straight to what you need.
How the pages work
Every chapter uses the same few building blocks, so you always know what you’re looking at:
- Exercises – in boxes with an orange edge and a pencil. They take a few minutes and work best with a real project in front of you.
- Checklists – tick them as you go. Your ticks are remembered in your browser, so you can come back later.
- Real-world examples – cards marked with a lightbulb link to how an ELIXIR Node actually did it. They’re short, and often the most useful part.
- Templates – download buttons give you editable PowerPoint and Word files to reuse.
- Further resources – the table at the end of each page lists more to read and use. Some are on the ELIXIR intranet and need your consortium login.
Bring a real project
The exercises are much more useful applied to something real than done in the abstract. Before you start, pick one current or upcoming output from your Node – a new service, an event, a project result, a training course – and keep it in mind as you go. By the end, you’ll have worked out who it’s for, how to say it, where to share it and how to tell whether it worked.
Quick check before you begin
Take a minute to think about your starting point.
- Which output or project will you use as your example?
- Who communicates for your Node today – and do you know who does it in other Nodes?
- Do you already have a communications plan or strategy, even an informal one?
- What’s the one communication problem you’d most like to solve?
Ready?
In Chapter 1, you’ll look at the difference between internal and external communication and take a quick audit of how your Node communicates today.