ACADEMIA
Braelight brings together years of experience of research, researcher development and entrepreneurship. We provide full programmes, shorter training sessions and personalised coaching for academics who want to become leaders within academia or in the private sector.
All our training has been developed with researchers’ specific needs in mind, and has already had an impact on researchers at universities all around the UK.
With efficiency and practice-based learning as a focus, Braelight can provide most of your researcher training needs.
"The training Irene provided gave me the confidence and knowledge to move away from academia and pursue an alternative career. Her coaching also provided me with the skills to stand apart from other candidates during my job hunt and ultimately secure my dream job!"
Dr Kristina Harrison, Associate Medical Writer.
Contact us for more information.
Some of our most popular programmes and courses are:
FEMALE LEADERSHIP
This programme is designed to empower women in academia through leadership development, mentorship and practical training sessions. The programme focuses on generating career progress for women towards positions of power by understanding the realities of the system and taking practical actions to move forward efficiently.
FROM ACADEMIA INTO THE PRIVATE SECTOR
Based on our experience of placing researchers in high-responsibility positions in the private sector, this engaging workshop is designed for researchers who are interested in utilising their skills in a private sector context. It provides insight into how you can translate your existing skills to non-academic positions and identify gaps in your skill sets that would impede your success in a career outside universities.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT BOOTCAMP FOR POSTDOCS
A comprehensive Masters-level three-day programme that guides postdoctoral researchers through the art of making strategic career choices. We help postdocs decide where they should focus their efforts to progress in their academic career, concentrating on collaboration, networking, their university context, and navigating the research and funding environments.
CONFIDENCE BUILDING AND STRATEGIC PERFORMANCE
This workshop helps researchers to identify their existing skills and qualities and provides them with the tools to capitalise on these attributes and to use them strategically to achieve career progression. It will assist you in recognising how others perceive you and how these unconscious biases can be turned around to your benefit.
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Public engagement and its links with research impact are a cornerstone of European research excellence evaluations. We offer training and coaching on how you can turn your research projects into impactful ventures by engraining public engagement within them at a fundamental level. We will provide the tools, techniques and vision you need, as well as the knowledge of how best to engage with different audiences in ways that will only strengthen your research and aid you in the pursuit of funding.
PRESENTATION SKILLS
This workshop is designed to have a direct impact on the way you present your research in conferences, seminars and public events. It has been designed and refined through extensive testing to be extremely effective, so you truly can improve your presentation skills and confidence within a very short period of time. This workshop can also be tailored for groups of non-native English speakers.
INTERVIEW TRAINING AND COACHING
At Braelight, we have years of experience coaching researchers to optimum performance in academic or private sector interviews. The tools we offer will allow you to approach your interview with confidence, while our meticulous approach to performance evaluation ensures that you will excel following your mock interviews with us.
Join us at one of our workshops and we will guide you through a practical, hands-on session that will maximise your interview skills. You will receive and provide feedback during interactive group-work, learn to think like an employer and assess your own performance following practical mock interviews.
NETWORKING
Every social situation at a conference or academic gathering is a chance to form a new strategic collaboration, seize a new opportunity or introduce yourself to your next employer. This workshop gives researchers the tools and confidence to become proficient networkers and grow tactical connections with academics or intersectoral stakeholders.
PROBLEM-SOLVING FOR BUSINESSES
One of the most useful transitions for researchers who are interested in working in high-profile positions in the private sector is as problem-solvers. This workshop will demonstrate how you can translate your research-specific problem-solving skills into the power to tackle, efficiently and effectively, any non-technical problem a company may have.
IMPACT FOR THE HUMANITIES
& SOCIAL SCIENCES
In the current research landscape, it is sometime hard for researchers from the Humanities and Social Sciences to justify the impact of their research to funders and evaluators. While it is easy to understand impact when working with e.g. technology or medical sciences, some researchers may feel it unfair to have to participate in the same impact framework as other disciplines. Using our experience of working with researchers and Research Councils, we offer coaching and training for researchers in the Humanities and Social Sciences that will demonstrate the pre-existing impact of their research, and lead them through developing standout impact statements and impact implementation-plans without needing to re-formulate their research plans.
TAILOR-MADE PROGRAMMES
From complete post-doctoral researcher development programmes, general coaching, mentorship packages and bespoke skills training, Braelight offers practical, hands-on training and coaching to suit any institution’s needs.