Researcher Connect Online is a two-week intensive training consisting of modules delivered through an online workshop format by experienced trainers. It provides early career researchers with the insights, understanding, and tools to communicate effectively in any context, though certain aspects also benefit more experienced researchers.

This course has been delivered across the globe and participant feedback has consistently shown that the workshop enhances researchers’ communication skills, knowledge, and ability.

Why do researchers’ communication skills matter?

In an increasingly competitive and globalised market, researchers, and the institutions they represent need to communicate their work effectively to an international audience.

Researchers with strong communication skills are more likely to:

  • publish in international journals
  • successfully promote their research and represent their institutions at conferences
  • gain funding from international bodies
  • effectively communicate with the wider public and policymakers
  • build international collaborations to further their research.

In recognition of this need, and building on our vision for prosperity through internationalised education, the British Council has developed the Researcher Connect Online professional development course.

This programme aims:

  1. To enhance the productivity of individual researchers and, in turn, provide their universities and research institutions with a competitive advantage in the fast-moving international research environment. 
  2. To build capacity for early career researchers (up to 6 years) and recent PhD graduates with inclusive participation based on gender, ethnicity, and geographical difference.
  3. To improve your communication and research skills and research quality as a whole,
  4. To increase the number of (joint) international journals and to strengthen research collaboration through this series of online training workshops.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible, applicants must:

  • Be a Mexican national or be affiliated with a Mexican HEI or Research Centre.
  • Be an early career researcher (ERC) and a practicing researcher at the beginning of your research career (ECRs are typically up to six years after finishing their PhD). All disciplines are welcome.
  • Be able to effectively communicate in English (B2 level or above).
  • One letter of recommendation from people who can attest to your ability to do well in the programme.
  • Can commit to the training schedule (this is a two-week training programme, three hours Tuesday-Friday 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, each day). See specific dates below.
  • Can confirm that your research organisation/university is permitting your full (100%) attendance (of which an attendance certificate will be awarded to you at the end of the training, and as evidence).   
  • Can commit to one or two deliverables with concrete outcomes as a result of this training, e.g. to aid the publication of research, sharing sessions to wider researchers, increasing research connections and collaborations.

How to apply

Complete the application form 

  • Attach your updated resume or CV and letter of recommendation to the online application form. Please note that both documents should be uploaded to a Google Drive link and shared within the application form. 

Modules

1. Foundation Module (1 session)

It introduces the approach, skills, tools, and techniques that underpin all the other communication skills of the Researcher Connect series of modules.

2. Digital Researcher Module (1 session)

Empowers researchers to strategise and use social media to make their research more accessible, more highly cited and to connect with other researchers and the public, for greater impact.

3. Academic Collaboration Module (1 session)

Assists researchers with how to plan collaboration and approach potential collaborators and builds their understanding of when and where collaboration may be most beneficial and how to handle the challenges of collaboration.

4. Academic Writing Module (2 sessions)

Over 2 sessions, participants examine the essentials and types of academic writing, developing their own writing style through the acquisition of tactics, tools and relevant language use techniques.

5. Presenting Effectively (1 module)

Learners build critical awareness, reflective and preparation skills, and practice techniques for the use of voice, body language, visuals, devices and presentation structure through creating and delivering their own oral presentations.

6. Effective Proposals Module (1 session)

Participants explore the principles of writing a competitive proposal, considering the use of audience-focused language and style and the creation of logically connected proposal elements, including rationale, goals, personnel, resources, budgets, outputs/outcomes, and potential impact.

7. Trainer Clinic (1 session)

A final session building on everything covered during the previous modules. Participants will discuss the research landscape in their country and internationally, explore issues of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), share information on resources and opportunities for research and career development, ask the trainers any follow up questions they have on the course content, identify some personal action plans, and provide feedback on the workshop.

Facilitators

Rachel Brasil

Based in London, she writes for a variety of publications on scientific areas, including chemistry, materials science, biomedical and pharmaceutical science, and science and innovation policy.

Prior to this, she worked in a number of scientific organizations, including the RSC, the Royal Institution and the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (Nesta). From 2006–2010 she ran Nesta's national researcher development programme, Crucible. Focused on encouraging creativity and stimulating interdisciplinary encounters between early career researchers, Crucible has now been adopted by a number of UK Universities.

Rachel herself has an interdisciplinary academic background, with degrees in chemistry and a PhD in archaeological conservation. She is also a trainer for the British Council’s Researcher Connect programme, teaching in China, Russia and Mexico.

Matt Lane

Director and co-founder of The Researcher Development Partnership, Cambridge, which collaborates with world-leading institutions to develop world-class researchers. 

Matt’s passionate about helping these researchers contribute better to society by doing better research, so specialises in four areas: communication and the foundations of academic English for international publication; researcher wellbeing; researcher leadership using key mindsets to master essential skillsets; and organisational development to affect positive structural change. 

These specialisms stem from over fourteen-years’ experience working with the ‘brightest and the stressed’ across the UK and Europe, South East Asia, and for 9 years at the University of Cambridge, where he was formally recognised for his ‘outstanding contribution’ to the development of early career researchers. 

Alongside this work with The RDP, Matt is an Associate of the Centre for Facilitation, specialising in helping researchers contribute better to society through the creative Sandpit methodology.

Key dates

Activity Date
Call for applications opens 06 January 2025
Application deadline 27 January 2025 (before 12pm)
Notification of application outcome 30 January 2025
Training week 1 11-14 February 2025 (9am to 12pm)
Training week 2 18-21 February 2025 (9am to 12pm)

Week 1:

  • Tuesday, 11 February from 9am to 12pm
  • Wednesday, 12 February from 9am to 12pm
  • Thursday, 13 February from 9am to 12pm
  • Friday, 14 February from 9am to 12pm

Week 2:

  • Tuesday, 18 February from 9am to 12pm
  • Wednesday, 19 February from 9am to 12pm
  • Thursday, 20 February from 9am to 12pm
  • Friday, 21 February from 9am to 12pm

*Mexico City time 

 

Total hours: 24 hours

Queries

For any queries, please reach out to: Monica.Angulo@britishcouncil.org.
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