Consultancy 

Research Coach consultancy services support organisations to develop structures and work environments where people will thrive.

By getting to know your organisation, your goals and your people, Research Coach will work with you to develop tailored  solutions that bring lasting positive impacts for your staff, students and organisational cultures.

Consultancy services range from one-off advisory meetings, focus groups and strategy workshops to larger scale qualitative scoping reviews of research cultures and environments, gender equality studies, and design, implementation and evaluation of professional development programmes and initiatives.

Contact us to arrange an initial discussion of your requirements.

Examples of current and past consultancy projects include:

  • Exploration of the experiences and progression of women in academia and clinical academia
  • Research culture and environment studies
  • Design, implementation and review of researcher coaching and mentoring schemes
  • Development and delivery of leadership team coaching programmes
  • Comprehensive reviews of institutional support for post-doctoral researchers
  • Review of institutional support for Principal Investigators
  • Student experience focus groups and strategy sessions
  • Development of frameworks and resources to support institutional mentoring schemes
  • Design and delivery of strategy sessions and away days
  • Staff/student focus groups

The recommendations from this report are a useful blueprint to help us understand what actions and changes will have the biggest impact”

– Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London – Project: Exploring the experiences of women in clinical academia

“Natalie provided a coaching programme which was included as part of a research leadership development scheme for academics on track to professorship. Natalie was instrumental in informing the development of the scheme advising on the best way in which coaching could be included and the types of development questions coaching could be used to address. Evaluation has shown that the vast majority of coachees found [the coaching programme] very helpful in supporting their career development. The coaching programme is also an important competent of our Athena Swan and HR Excellence Action plans, providing focused career development opportunities for researchers. I am looking forward to working with Natalie on our next projects – it is good to know your researchers are in safe hands.”

– Research and Knowledge Exchange, Manchester Metropolitan University – Research Leadership Development

“Natalie and Jo provided clear communication throughout the process. The review was carried out in a very professional manner and the report was high quality. The report outlines a clear set of actions that if enacted will improve the working environment and development of ECA staff in [our] department.”

– Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool – Review of Support for Early Career Academics

“Every step of the process, from interview to consultation to final report was seamless. The team were professional, but also personable which put those involved in interviews and focus groups at ease. They really took time to understand the brief and the final report
reflects their understanding, but also their attention to detail and willingness to go the extra mile to put clear and meaningful recommendations in place. I have managed several tenders in my role and this is the first time I have ever been able to accept a final report without any changes! It is perfect – fits the brief and gives us recommendations that are meaningful but also achievable.”

– Postdoc and Fellows Development Centre, Imperial College London – Review of Postdoc Provision

“The mentoring circles approach was completely new to our institution and I couldn’t be more pleased with how well it suited our needs. Natalie was always on hand to iron out issues quickly and effectively, especially after the move to online working. This new approach to mentoring resulted, in the first instance, in some really impactful conversations between colleagues who would not ordinarily have the opportunity to speak openly. In the longer term, the scheme has challenged and revitalised our institution’s approach to mentoring as a whole, which is sure to lead to an improved personal and professional development for colleagues going forward.”

– Research and Knowledge Exchange, University of Westminster – Mentoring Scheme Development

“I wholeheartedly recommend Research Coach to colleagues who might be looking to gain further insights into current HE processes and practices. Natalie James’ work for us at the University of Kent was excellent from start to finish. She listened carefully to our initial brief, taking care to understand what we needed and the wider institutional context.  She was thorough and systematic, and combined precise research processes with empathetic engagement with our staff. This enabled her to extract sensitive but important information from a wide range of colleagues from across the university. She was efficient, proactive and engaged throughout.”

– Dean of the Graduate School, University of Kent – Organisational Consultancy Client

“It was a real pleasure working with you last year on our pilot mentoring scheme. Following the success of the mentoring programme, [we would like to work with you] to roll it out again.”

– Society for Experimental Biology – Mentoring Consultancy Client

“Thank you for another excellent session this morning. Your efforts were very much appreciated by the team and really fulfilled the brief we first discussed, many months ago.”

– Research Quality and Impact, University of Sussex – Team Coaching Client