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“Be yourself. Know that this is your research. You are the expert in your research and you got this. ...most importantly, practice and practice and practice.”
Pewee Datoo Kolubah, 1st place, Falling Walls 2024
What is Take First?
Can you share five years of research in three minutes?
Of course you can!
And if you're wondering how, Take First! is the answer.
Over the last 20 years, graduate research competitions like the Three-Minute Thesis (3MT), Falling Walls, and FameLab have given graduate students around the world a chance to share their research with non-specialist audiences in a very short amount of time.
Take First! is a methodical approach to preparing for your graduate research competition. Over an 8-week schedule, the program guides you through crafting your message, designing your presentation or prop, cultivating your physical presence, and much, much more.
Best of all, Take First! is free to everyone, everywhere!
"Just do it. The most important thing that helped me improve my communication is doing it over and over and over and over again. The first time is never going to be perfect. It doesn’t matter if...you freeze for 30 seconds, you were up there and that’s something to be proud of."
Prescott Vayda, winner, Nutshell Games 2024, Virginia Tech
Wait -- Why is Take First! free?
People keep asking me: "Why are you giving this valuable content away for free? Why aren't you charging?" The answer to this question comes down to my values.
I believe in equity of opportunity. Some graduate students come from institutions with generous travel grants, access to communication coaches, and a culture of mentorship that fosters long-term success. Other students are just as brilliant, just as driven, but they lack these advantages, not because they deserve less, but simply because of where they happened to start.
I believe in the brilliance of people from all backgrounds and places. As someone who loves to travel and meet people from all over the world, I've seen time and again how smart and innovative people can be. Sometimes all they need is a smile, a word of encouragement, or a free online science communication training resource to take the next step. (Insert gentle smile here.)
I believe in generosity. As an American, I've noticed that generosity isn't always a value our culture rewards — we're often taught to get more than we give. This is backwards for me: When I give rather than receive, what comes back to me is always greater than what I imagined. Take First! is my gift to you.
Charging for this training would mean turning away the very students who need it most: those without institutional backing, without deep pockets, without a head start. Science belongs to everyone willing to do the work of understanding and sharing it, and so should the tools to communicate it well.
Making Take First! free is my way of leveling the playing field, so a talented student's voice can carry as far as their ideas deserve — no matter which country, university, lab, or budget they call home.
With love,
marlit hayslett, phd