That is what UiA PhD research fellow Ådne Ausland says. Together with colleague Mathilde Elsa Christensen, he took part in the national final of Researcher Grand Prix on Thursday 24 September.
There, they met the ten best candidates from the regional finals. In a thrilling final show at Edderkoppen Scene, each candidate had four minutes to present their research in a clear, creative and convincing way. Solveig Kloppen hosted the event, guiding participants and the audience through the evening.
The range of topics was broad, both in terms of academic discipline and institution, as well as what the participants hoped to achieve through their research. In addition to the University of Agder, participants came from the University of Bergen, Nord University, the University of Oslo and UiT The Arctic University of Norway.
Three participants progressed to a superfinal, where they were given another four minutes to tell the audience more about their research. Ådne Ausland was one of them. In the end, Victoria Vinje-Jakobsen from the University of Oslo’s Faculty of Medicine was named the winner and can now call herself this year’s best research communicator. Vinje-Jakobsen impressed the judges and audience with an accessible explanation of how to prevent heart damage in breast cancer patients.
The winner of this year’s national competition was decided by both the professional jury and the audience. The jury consisted of actor Iren Reppen, science communicator Andreas Wahl and Mari Sundli Tveit, Director-General of the Research Council of Norway. They represented the fields of performing arts, communication and academia, respectively.
Read also how Johanna Marcussen from UiA won the 2025 final.
"A life-changing experience"
Although they did not win this time, both PhD research fellows are clear that taking part was a valuable experience.
“I have experienced both personal and professional growth. An entire team of highly skilled advisers was ready to help me become a better communicator. It has been fantastic. The direct feedback and greater awareness of blind spots in the way I present myself have been incredibly valuable for my development,” says Christensen.
Christensen is a PhD research fellow at UiA’s Department of Health and Nursing Sciences. Her research focuses on how young people experience having a family member become critically ill and be admitted to an intensive care unit.
Ausland is a PhD research fellow at the Department of Sports Science and Physical Education, where he is developing and testing a new educational programme for coaches who work with female athletes.
Ausland is pleased with his participation in Researcher Grand Prix and the national final in Oslo.
“Seeing that my research actually reaches an audience outside academia is a completely different experience from publishing an article and having no idea whether anyone reads it. I strongly believe that research needs to leave our offices and reach the people who can actually use it. In my case, that means coaches and athletes,” says Ausland.
Communication is a skill that needs to be practised
Both UiA finalists emphasise that condensing several years of research into four minutes, without using academic jargon, has been challenging, but also one of the most important things they have learnt.
“Communication, without a doubt, is what has challenged me the most, precisely because it is something we have spent the least time working on during our PhD. Summarising several years of research in four minutes, without using advanced research terminology, while still retaining the most important content, required a completely different kind of work from what I am used to,” says Ausland.
“Standing on stage in front of a large audience and making it look natural is probably what has challenged me the most. It is great fun, but you have to think carefully about your body language,” says Christensen.
Both say they would recommend that other PhD research fellows take part next year.
“Communication is a skill, just like writing a scientific article, and it will not improve if you avoid practising it. Even though it takes a lot of time, it is very exciting and absolutely worth it,” says Ausland.
"Research communication is becoming increasingly important"
Researcher Grand Prix is part of the Research Days, and is a research communication competition for PhD research fellows in Norway, organised by the Research Council of Norway. This year’s national theme for the Research Days is “trust”.
“We at the Research Council see Researcher Grand Prix as a fantastic opportunity for researchers to showcase excellent research and be inspired to communicate their work,” said Mari Sundli Tveit, Director-General of the Research Council of Norway.
“Showing what methods you use and how you have carried out your research builds trust. And when we have trust in research, we have one of the most important pillars of our democracy,” she said.
Researcher Grand Prix internationally
The Norwegian Researcher Grand Prix model and the University of Agder have also inspired partner universities in the European FORTHEM University Alliance, which brings together nine European countries, to establish their own European competition. The final will be held for the third time this year, in Opole, Poland, in October. Ådne Ausland will represent UiA there.