INAF PhD School Francesco Lucchin - Spring 2026

Student Pitch ideas

Here you may find some ideas to prepare the pitch for the Friday afternoon students presentations.

Format: Live Talk (FameLab Style / Presentation)

1. High School Orientation: A 3-minute presentation in front of high school students (16-17 years old) to inspire them to study astrophysics.

2. Researchers' Night Pop-up: A quick pitch to a diverse crowd of passersby (families, children, elders) who just stopped by your street booth.

3. Pint of Science (Science in a Pub): Explaining your research in an informal, lighthearted, and witty way to an adult audience drinking a beer.

4. The Regional Policy Committee: Speaking to a panel of local politicians and decision-makers to justify why taxpayer money should fund your project.

5. University Open Day: Presenting a visual concept or mini-poster to parents of prospective students to show the cultural impact of your institute.

6. Science Museum Flash Talk: A 3-minute pop-up talk to capture the attention of museum visitors waiting in line for a planetarium show.

7. Local Amateur Astronomy Club: Addressing passionate non-academic stargazers gathered at a small town library.

Format: Media Relations (Interviews & Press)

1. The 3-Minute TV News Slot: A live, rapid-fire interview for a national generalist TV news channel right after a major discovery announcement.

2. The General Reporter Briefing: Explaining your science to a non-scientific journalist who has a tight deadline to write a half-page article by tonight.

3. The Opening Press Conference: Giving the initial 3-minute statement to local reporters to launch a new INAF research facility or project.

4. Morning Radio Breakfast Show: A 3-minute slot on a popular morning radio show to comment on a spectacular astronomical event happening tonight.

5. The TV Producer Pitch: Convincing the executive producer of a mainstream cultural TV show to dedicate an entire episode to your field of study.

6. The Philosophy/Culture Magazine Interview: Answering the deep question "Why do we spend resources looking at the stars?" for a highly educated, non-scientific readership.

Format: Video Capsules or Social Media Campaigns

1. The YouTube Educational Explainer: Structuring a 3-minute video script centered around a powerful 'Information Gap' for tech-savvy adults.

2. The Instagram Reel / TikTok Myth-Buster: A fast-paced, pre-recorded video capsule designed to debunk a viral astronomical fake news or conspiracy theory.

3. The Instagram/TikTok Live Q&A: A 3-minute native live stream answering shock questions from followers (e.g., "Can a black hole swallow Earth tomorrow?").

4. The Viral X (Twitter) Thread Breakdown: Presenting the visual and text structure of a multi-post thread designed to trend among science enthusiasts.

5. The Crowdfunding Campaign Video: A 3-minute video pitch to convince private citizens to micro-finance an open-source scientific software or tool.

6. The Middle School Video Message: A 3-minute clip sent to an 11-12 year old classroom to answer a curiosity they sent to the observatory.

7. The INAF Website Video Capsule: An institutional yet highly engaging 3-minute video explaining your latest published paper, translating plots into instant visuals.