Academia
We help researchers communicate their science to human beings.
Universities, PhD & Post-Doc training from IMPROV Communication helps researchers communicate with impact, collaborate across disciplines, strengthen their networking, and build the resilience to excel in competitive academic settings. We work with institutes including DTU, KU, ITU and NAD. The training is experiential and grounded in our Applied Improv methodology.
Standard sessions
Four sessions, built for the way researchers actually work.
We help researchers communicate their science to human beings, build the relationships their careers depend on, and create teams where people feel safe to speak up. Every session is experiential — no slides, no scripts — and grounded in Applied Improv. We have delivered this work to PhD cohorts and research teams across Denmark for years, including a six-session programme run annually for the Neuroscience Academy Denmark, funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Each session runs for a single group of up to 25 participants with one facilitator, and can be booked on its own or combined into a programme across a seminar, a retreat or a full cohort journey.
Communication
Communicating Your Science to Human Beings
Help researchers explain complex work to anyone — funders, collaborators, the media, the public — without losing the science.
90m – 5h · up to 25 participants · 1 facilitator
Learn more →Connection
Leveraging Your Network
The relationships that drive research careers — collaborations, funding, co-authorships — start with a conversation. We help researchers start them.
90m – 5h · up to 25 participants · 1 facilitator
Learn more →Teams
Team Development for Support Staff
The people who keep a research institute running rarely get a day that's theirs. This session builds trust, communication and psychological safety across the support team.
90m – 5h · up to 25 participants · 1 facilitator
Learn more →Foundations
The 5 Guiding Principles of IMPROV
A practical framework for showing up differently in any conversation, meeting or room full of strangers. The foundation of every IMPROV training.
90m – 5h · up to 25 participants · 1 facilitator
Learn more →Track record
Trusted by research institutions across Denmark and Europe.
We have taught the 5 Guiding Principles to more than 10,000 professionals across Europe — from R&D teams at Novo Nordisk and BASF to PhD cohorts in universities and academies.
Neuroscience Academy Denmark (NAD)
Training partner for five consecutive years. A six-session communication and leadership programme for each new PhD cohort, funded through the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
DTU
Trainings delivered for DTU Compute, DTU Aqua, DTU CeMiSt and DTU Fødevareinstituttet.
University of Copenhagen (KU)
Ongoing partnerships across BRIC and multiple faculties.
Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy (DDEA)
Communication trainings for diabetes researchers in the Novo Nordisk Foundation ecosystem.
Danish Data Science Academy (DDSA) at ITU
Experiential trainings for data science PhD students.
Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Novonesis, Fujifilm Diosynth
Science communication and leadership trainings for R&D professionals.
Across our work with research and corporate partners alike — including BASF, Airbus, Amazon, Allianz and Beiersdorf — the pattern is consistent: the teams that perform best are the ones where psychological safety is highest. And that is built through experience, not instruction.
Investing in your researchers? Let's design the right sessions.
FAQ
Questions, answered
- What training does IMPROV offer for universities and PhD students?
- Four standard sessions: Communicating Your Science to Human Beings, Leveraging Your Network, Team Development for Support Staff, and The 5 Guiding Principles of IMPROV. Each is experiential, grounded in Applied Improv, and can be booked alone or combined into a programme.
- Who are these sessions for?
- PhD students, postdocs and senior researchers, as well as the coordinators, lab managers and support staff who keep a research institute running. The support-staff session is designed specifically for operational teams.
- How long are the sessions, and how many people can attend?
- Minimum 90 minutes. We recommend anything between two and five hours, up to 25 participants, with one facilitator. We have a venue in the center of Copenhagen, where the training can take place, or we can come to you. All we need is an empty space large enough for everyone to stand in a circle.
- Which universities and research institutions have you worked with?
- We have delivered trainings for the Neuroscience Academy Denmark, DTU, the University of Copenhagen, the Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy, and the Danish Data Science Academy at ITU, among others, alongside R&D teams at Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Novonesis and Fujifilm Diosynth.
- Can the sessions be combined into a full programme?
- Yes. Many institutions combine sessions across a seminar, a retreat or a cohort journey. We deliver a six-session programme annually for the Neuroscience Academy Denmark. Start with an exploration call and we'll design the right shape for you.