FULL SWITCH™

A research consultancy programme where early career researchers gain consultancy experience, develop project management skills, and engage with external partners.
"I've got a job directly as a result of doing the FULL SWITCH™ programme"

Yolanda Hill, Former UKRI Research Fellow
Institutional enquiries
Get in Touch
For individual researchers
Join the Waiting List
Our Projects
See Project Examples

Why institutions choose FULL SWITCH™

Institutions trust FULL SWITCH™ because it offers more than training. It gives researchers real consultancy experience through structured, client-focused projects. The programme has become a trusted route for building capability and confidence among doctoral and postdoctoral researchers across disciplines.

Here’s what the programme delivers for institutions, researchers, and clients:

  • Supports institutional goals around researcher development, industry engagement, knowledge exchange, and research impact
  • Researchers develop skills in project planning, client engagement, communication, and collaboration with external partners
  • Recognised by employers as meaningful work experience that supports progression into new roles
  • Designed to fit around researchers’ academic and personal commitments
    50 plus real consultancy projects completed in collaboration with businesses
  • Over 300 doctoral and postdoctoral researchers trained, with 90 percent reporting increased confidence in client-facing consultancy and 95 percent saying they would recommend the programme

What the FULL SWITCH™ programme involves

FULL SWITCH™ gives researchers the opportunity to take part in real consultancy work for business clients. They move through a structured process with expert support, gaining hands-on experience as they respond to live briefs in a professional, team-based setting.
  • Projects run over six months with a flexible weekly time commitment
  • Researchers collaborate in interdisciplinary teams to respond to real briefs from business clients
  • Each team is supported by a group of mentors with expertise in project management, research, and client engagement, who provide detailed feedback on every deliverable
  • Training is delivered online in short, focused sessions linked to project stages
  • Key deliverables include:
    • Project initiation document (PID)
    • Research report
    • Business report
    • Client presentation
    • Project evaluation report
  • The programme follows the CSC Method, a structured consultancy framework that ensures clarity and consistency across all projects
CSC METHOD

Key dates and programme requirements

Key Dates

The programme is very flexible and it’s 100% online. There are only a few set dates and times for events that researchers are expected to attend. The remaining engagements and activities can be arranged by the project teams within specified windows of time based on their availability. This is done to ensure that researchers can fit the programme around their other commitments.

Time Commitment

It is a 6-month programme with an average commitment of 7 hours/week. This estimate is averaged over the course of the programme. During this time, researchers work in interdisciplinary project teams of 5-6 members.

Attendance

Associates should attend all workshops, coaching sessions, meetings and presentations. If you have important commitments which cannot be moved on any of the key dates, you should contact Code-Switch in advance to explore the options.

What projects?

Upon registration, researchers submit a summary of their research expertise and select all projects they would like to work on during the programme.

Code-Switch uses this information to match researchers to projects, creating interdisciplinary teams with diverse skills and ensuring the mix of skills is appropriate for the requirements of the individual business challenges.

Working in interdisciplinary teams, our Associate Research Consultants have successfully helped businesses solve a wide range of challenges, including:

• Marketing strategies  • Evaluation of services  • Development and validation of new services and products  • Attracting investment  • Making investment decisions  • Creating capability  • Business change  • Entering new geographical markets  • Expanding from B2C to B2B and from B2B to B2C  • Launching, positioning and communicating new services and products  • Measuring impact of products  • Achieving strategic goals

See the summary of projects we have delivered here.

 

What disciplines?

Our associates come from a wide range of SHAPE (Social Sciences, Humanities, and the Arts for People and the Economy) and STEM disciplines, including:

SHAPE

• International Relations • Law • English Literature • Contemporary Art • Social Anthropology • Management Science • Social Philosophy in Health • Psychology • Education • Social Statistics • Health Research • Marketing • Political Sciences • Social Policy • Graphic Design • Philosophy • Criminology • Data Analytics • Development Policy and Management • Architecture • Human Geography • Decision Sciences • Music • Applied Drama • Linguistics

STEM

• Computational Cardiac Electrophysiology • Physics • Epidemiology • Biomedical Science • Neuroscience • Material Science and Engineering • Mechanical Engineering • Endocrinology

Applying independently (not through a university cohort)?

The cost of the programme is £1200.

PhD researchers may be able to receive funding from Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs), Doctoral Training Centres (DTCs) or universities’ internal pots of funding. We advise researchers to contact their DTPs, Placement Officers, Researcher Development Teams or Impact Accelerator Account Officers to enquire about potential sources of funding for the programme.

Postdoctoral researchers have also secured funding from their institutions and have undertaken the course as part of the Researcher Development Concordat. The Concordat requires universities and funders to support postdocs’ engagement in a minimum of 10 days professional development pro rata per year.

How to register?

We’re planning the next Full Switch™ Programme. Join our waiting list and we’ll be in touch as soon as registration opens.

Charlotte Stuart
Partnership Development Manager - Lancaster University

We worked with Hellen and her team through the ESRC-funded Accelerating Business Collaborations (ABC) programme and funded 17 participants to participate in the Full Switch programme.

The PGRs had a valuable experience, saying they had learned a lot and benefited hugely, including feeling more confident about embarking on their academic and industry career paths. They demonstrated a greater awareness and understanding of commercial concepts and how their knowledge and skillsets were of value to industry. From the outset, Hellen’s rigorous approach to planning and delivery gave me a lot of confidence to support students into the programme. She remained in contact with our team throughout, informing of us progress, developments and any issues and shaped her evaluation to suit our needs and those of our funders. She was an excellent person to work with and I readily recommended the services of Code-Switch to other Universities.

Alejandra Hernandez Pichardo
Field Application Specialist - Sartorius Stedim Biotech (Former PhD research in Biological Science)

My current job involves engaging clients, understanding their pain points, and offering solutions. Although in a different field, this is exactly what the Code-Switch consultancy project I participated in was about. Having the right scientific background for the job was very important, but I believe that showcasing the business competencies that I acquired through my experience with Code-Switch during the interview process gave me the edge to land the position.

Yolanda Hill
Business Development Manager - Neuronostics (Former Wellcome Trust funded research fellow - University of Birmingham)

I’ve got a job directly as a result of doing the Full Switch Research Consultancy Programme

Guangyu Liu
Project Manager - Rayspec (Former Research Fellow - Brunel University London)

The consultancy project has granted me vital experience in the business sector, and I now feel more than capable to apply for similar positions. Had I not been involved with the Code-Switch project, I might have been more hesitant about stepping into consultancy or project management, questioning my preparedness or suitability. However, now I stand at a different point, one filled with confidence and self- assurance. I have been trained, I have gained experience, and I feel competent.

Samira Hosseini Alghaderi
Research Staff, University of Manchester

The Full Switch™️ programme significantly enriched my knowledge and enhanced my confidence. Currently, as I navigate my postdoctoral journey, this programme has provided me with a reassuring backup plan. Should I choose to venture beyond academia or face an unexpected end to my contract, I am now well-equipped to transition into the consultancy field.

Amy Campbell
PhD researcher in Psychology - University of Bristol

The Full Switch™️ programme emphasised the power of organisation and project management and it convinced me that Ph.D. programmes should include project management as a core module. The structured approach of project management expedites tasks and streamlines workflows even in academia’s flexible timelines

Michaël Spanu
Senior Researcher – Sound Diplomacy (Former Marie Curie Postdoctoral Researcher – University of Manchester)

Working in academia has become so difficult, while the private sector clearly lacks knowledge about how researchers can contribute to a wide range of organizations and businesses. So much can be done to improve that situation. Hellen and her programme Full Switch™️ have been a huge help in expanding my career as a researcher beyond academia. All universities should have such a programme!

Maxine Sims
Postgraduate Researcher Development Officer - Bristol Doctoral College

Code-Switch Consultants provided an enlightening and useful practical experience for a number of PhD students from a range of faculties at Bristol on the Full Switch™️ programme. The level of challenge and support was pitched just right for this demographic. One of the biggest learnings was that you can flex your skills to contribute to a project or industry that doesn’t necessarily align to your narrow research field and still gain satisfaction. This is transformative for the confidence of many PGR students.

PEOPLE LOVE FULL SWITCH™️

Ready to Take the Next Step?

FULL SWITCH™ works with institutions and individual researchers. Whether you’re commissioning for a cohort or looking to join independently, we’d love to hear from you.

 

Institutional enquiries
Get in Touch
For individual researchers
Join the Waiting List
Our Projects
See Project Examples