PhD and Postdoctoral Researchers

Elevate your researchers' potential with our immersive, meaningful and memorable courses and workshops

Courses and Workshops

We carefully curate and tailor our courses and workshops to match the unique requirements and backgrounds of each specific cohort. Our expert-guided approach ensures every training experience is bespoke, relevant and practical, designed for lasting impact and successful career trajectories

CoursesWorkshops

Courses

FULL SWITCH™

Research Consultancy Programme

Placements and internships are difficult to come by. Full Switch™ offers an innovative solution for researchers to gain work experience as research consultants.

  • Combines academic expertise with best practice consultancy and project management to address real-world business problems
  • 6-month research consultancy programme – 100% online – up to 7hours/week
  • Flexible – researchers can fit the programme around commitments
  • Interactive training, targeted coaching and feedback, interdisciplinary teamwork, practical experience, client engagement, progress meetings and online collaboration tools
  • Digital badge upon completion

SHORT SWITCH™

Industry Engagement Essentials

Short Switch™ is a sub-product of Full Switch™ that introduces researchers to four different but interrelated topics: Project management, consultancy, knowledge exchange and transitioning to industry.

  • 4 workshops
  • 1-month, 2-week or 1-week course
  • 3 expert facilitators and guest speakers
  • 1-2-1 coaching sessions

QUICK SWITCH™

Industry Engagement Essentials

Quick Switch™ offers the same essentials insights as Short Switch™ but in a quicker one-day intensive workshop.

  • 4 sessions
  • 1-day or 2×0.5 days
  • 3 expert facilitators and guest speakers

PHD NAVIGATOR

Project Management Excellence in PhD Research

This programme trains researchers to effectively plan, manage and execute their projects, ensuring a successful and timely completion of their PhD.

  • Expert facilitators, mentors and individualised feedback
  • 1 year programme

THE BRAINS BEHIND THE BUSINESS

Research-led Business Accelerator

This programme trains researchers to craft and pitch effective business proposals, fostering growth and opening up new opportunities.

  • Expert facilitators, mentors and individualised feedback
  • 1 month course

INNOVATION IGNITER

Research-led Business Launchpad

A one-day course that delves into entrepreneurship and commercialisation pathways, helping researchers turn their innovative ideas into reality.

  • Expert facilitators and guest speakers
  • 1-day course

TRANSFORMATION THROUGH ADAPTIVE LEADERSHIP

Adaptive Leadership Programme

Our Adaptive Leadership Programme equips current and future research leaders with the skills to confidently lead and achieve positive change, harness the power of collaboration to break down silos. Participants will gain skills and practical tools to co-develop strategies, build trust, and drive transformational change. With expert facilitators, real-world scenarios, and guided practical applications, this programme prepares leaders to navigate complexity and create lasting impact across the research system.

  • 4 workshops
  • 1-month, 2-week or 1-week course
  • 3 expert facilitators and guest speakers
  • 1-2-1 coaching sessions

Workshops

Unleash Your Potential: Researchers' Hidden Industry Value

Think your skills are limited to academia? Discover what employers crave, showcase your unique offerings, and realise your true worth in the industry landscape.

Step-by-step plan to Get a Job in Industry

Risk management is a fundamental aspect of project management which researchers do not tend to apply to their own projects, increasing the chances of unexpected events affecting the successful delivery of the research and its impact.This is what we will show you during this session.

Use LinkedIn to Jumpstart a New Career in Industry

LinkedIn is not the most popular social media platform in academia, but it is the most powerful tool to engage with industry. To unlock LinkedIn’s potential, it is crucial to create an impactful profile, build a network and engage with potential employers.

Industry Interviews from Within

There are differences between academic and industry interviews that researchers may not know about. A great interview is the difference between clinching your dream job or continuing your job search. Great interviews are not down to chance, they are outcomes of good preparation. Learn the best techniques for preparing and pulling off polished interviews and standing out from the crowd.

Maximising Research Collaborations with Industry Partners

Navigate the nuances of academia-industry collaborations. This engaging session empowers you to strengthen your communication, clarify collaborative objectives and strategically leverage these alliances for personal career growth.

Instigating a Research Collaboration with Industry

Navigating the pathway to industry collaboration is a common challenge for researchers keen on amplifying the real-world impact of their work. The key lies in crafting a meticulous process to identify potential industry partners for your research and developing effective strategies of engagement.

Client and Team Engagement Best Practice

Effective communication with team members and clients is a critical project success factor and a sought after skill from employers. Our experience of training researchers and delivering projects with multiple stakeholders confirms this is an area which requires attention and improvement for many researchers.

Navigating Knowledge Exchange:Understanding and Maximising Impact

Enhance the impact of your research through effective knowledge exchange.Learn how to increase your work’s visibility, foster collaborations and amplify the societal significance of your research to make a meaningful difference.

Profiling your Research Audience through Design Thinking

One of the challenges researchers experience when promoting their work for impact is not knowing their audience and recognising that there are differences amongst them which they can use to their advantage. Learning how profiling your audience and persona mapping can lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the reader of your work, and how you might be able to hook their attention.

From PhD to Consultancy

Puzzled by non-academic career choices? Explore consultancy as an exciting avenue to leverage your skills and embark on a fulfilling professional adventure.

Blueprint to Success: Setting Up Your Consultancy Project

Navigate the roadmap to setting up a successful consultancy project. This session covers everything from initial client meetings to project execution, ensuring you’re well-equipped to deliver impactful solutions to your clients.

Consultancy Kickstart: Transform Your PhD Expertise

Ready to become a consultant but unsure where to begin? Learn to design tailored services and attract your initial clients for a successful start in the consultancy world.

How to Price your Consultancy Services

How much should I charge? This is the most common questions we get asked by researchers interested in becoming freelance consultants. We will show you how to get your pricing right to create a sustainable business.

Future-proofing your Career with Project Management Skills

Discover how to transform your PhD experience into project management expertise, and learn to effectively communicate these valuable skills to future employers.

Setting Up a Project for Success

Many projects fail because of insufficient effort analysing, planning and agreeing what to do, how and when to do it. For researchers, this can lead to PhD dissatisfaction or even giving up their thesis. In this workshop, we introduce researchers to a range of practical tools and techniques to set any project, academic or not, up for success.

Managing Risks and Uncertainty in Research Projects

Risk management is a fundamental aspect of project management which researchers do not tend to apply to their own projects, increasing the chances of unexpected events affecting the successful delivery of the research and its impact.This is what we will show you during this session.

Research Reimagined: Unleashing Societal Impact

Delve into the exhilarating journey of transforming research into impactful products or services. Let us guide you in converting research-based offerings into powerful societal game-changers.

Entrepreneurship as a Route to Impact

Curious about the entrepreneurial leap? Explore the key motivations and mindset behind transforming research into real-world solutions, and navigate diverse pathways to create a lasting impact as a research-driven entrepreneur.

Design Thinking Lab: Crafting Business Ideas from Research

Participate in our design thinking-driven ideation session, where researchers harness their research to generate groundbreaking business ideas and unlock the potential for future innovations.

Making Ideas a Reality

Master the art of efficiently developing and testing research-based business ideas with expert guidance. Learn to map your plan, pinpoint value propositions, customer segments, revenue streams, and channels to bring your vision to life.

Beyond Academia:Harnessing AI to Power Your Career Leap

Unlock exciting career opportunities beyond academia with the power of AI. In this workshop, you’ll leverage AI to identify and articulate your transferable skills, explore diverse career paths and enhance your professional profile.

You’re Already Qualified! Reframing your research for UX

Researchers have a strong foundation in research methods, data analysis and critical thinking. However, to effectively deliver UX research, you need to learn how to reframe your research approach to align with the goals and practices of UX research.

Packaging yourself and your work for UX research

The ability to produce high-quality portfolios and slide-decks is a valuable skill for aspiring UX researchers. It can help you to effectively communicate your work, showcase your expertise and increase your chances of getting hired.

Mastering the UX Research Job Hunt

Interview cycles, CVs, referrals, and LinkedIn are all important elements of the UX research job search process. By taking the time to understand and utilise these tools effectively, you can increase your chances of landing a UX research job and finding a role that is a good fit for you.

You are in good company