Services
What We do
Online Courses
NOW LIVE!
We’re working hard to convert our course material from our in
person workshops to online materials. Our VERY first online version of one of our courses has JUST LAUNCHED! Please register and we’ll keep you updated as all of our other courses are gradually added to our online, work at your own pace, course portal. The number of our courses available online will gradually build and will include:
- How to Win a Fellowship
- Grant Applications for ECRs
- Grants Masterclass
- Preparing for a funding interview
- The first 100 days, a programme for those new to leadership positions
Live Workshops
How to Win a Fellowship
Our fellowships workshop is offered by universities as part of a long-term programme for experienced post-docs/new lecturers or as a one off workshop, frequently as part of the wider training aspects of CDT programmes. We have also delivered this workshop on behalf of a number of learned societies to their members just starting out on their academic research careers.
Grant applications for ECRs
Popular as a one off workshop we can deliver a workshop on the basics of grant applications. We concentrate on developing key messages and organising your thoughts rather than the technical structure of application forms for individual funders, therefore making our workshop highly impactful whilst ensuring it appeals to a wide audience
Grant Applications Masterclass
This workshop takes the basics learnt in the workshop focused on ECRs and extends those working step by step through the crucial aspects of making the most compelling case for funding. It also integrates some business planning tools which we have modified to provide useful insight into research idea planning and exploration.
All of our workshops are highly interactive, mixing theory, practical experience and lots and lots of practice and time for Q&A!
1:1 Coaching
Critical Friend Support
We confidentially support proposal development by acting as a critical friend. Most often that means we review fairly late stage draft proposals and mark these up with detailed and specific suggestions for improvement. We provide that objective but supportive view not long before submission when individuals/teams may have been working on a bid for so long that it can become difficult to “see the wood for the trees”. This is a bespoke and 1:1 (or 1:team) service so we follow up with an in-depth Skype based discussion of our findings/suggestions and an open Q&A so that PIs have an objective sounding board and/or can use us to moderate disagreements of approach within leadership teams brought together for larger/strategic proposals. The process extends over a period of time; after the in-depth review and discussion we apply a further (light touch) review and feedback of (hopefully) the final draft just before submission and act again as critical friend when it comes time to supply a response to reviewers.
We typically support larger/strategic bids but we have also supported ECRs in a 1:1 capacity and often combine 1:1 advice on outline proposals with one of our grant applications workshops.
Our support is a bespoke confidential service; we assign an individual to support a team and that person provides support throughout the submission process.
Pre-interview coaching
In addition to supporting written bids we provide support for those preparing for funding interviews. Over a period of time prior to the interview we help interviewees to prepare and shape what they wish to say, prepare themselves mentally and conduct mock interviews all to enhance their performance.
Impact Demonstration Advice
Case Study Development
We have authored a large number of REF impact case studies and continue to consult for the UK Research Councils on impact demonstration projects. Our strength comes from knowing the research community and having a thorough theoretical and practical grounding in impact demonstration; we often unearth impact where researchers thought there was none!
Case Study Review
We are able to provide objective, external review of draft case studies. We operate a multi pass approach where we identify where cases can be enhanced both within the text and in terms of underpinning evidence. We make specific suggestions for improvement on a case by case and context specific basis rather than anodyne generic suggestions.
Ready to Get Started?
Request A Quote
RiF was established to be useful and make a difference; it is driven by interesting projects not financial business metrics. As such we never take on a project without first discussing exactly what a potential client wants to get out of the interaction. If our full time or associate consultants cannot help it is highly likely that we know someone who can and thus we are happy to provide recommendations and introductions. Once we’ve discussed a potential project and have established that we are appropriately skilled then we will prepare a first draft formal quote. Once a client sees the project set out as objectives, process, timing, etc. they may refine their requirements and we will happily iterate the quote until everyone is clear and happy. For simple projects this can of course be a very fast interaction but experience suggests it is beneficial for all to be clear from the outset.