Career development for researchers

Skills training, but make it fun.

Online career skills workshops for researchers

I offer small-group, online workshops to help you develop the skills you need for a career in research… or if you’re a researcher thinking of a career change.

In my workshops, you’ll benefit from my unique background:

  • I was formerly a researcher, so I understand academia from the inside.

  • I lectured alongside researching, so I have a lot of experience teaching and training adults. I love combining the joy I get from teaching with my weapons-grade enthusiasm for research.

  • These days I’m a research communicator, so I am really good at supporting people in grasping new concepts and making practical use of them.

My workshops are focused on empowering you to develop your knowledge and practical skills - but I don’t think learning should be boring, so they’re also fun. Expect ridiculous analogies, silly jokes, and a lot of interactive elements.

If you want to know more about me and my approach before you book, check out my About Me page.

(P.S. These workshops are for individual researchers. If you’re looking for a trainer to deliver tailored research career skills workshops for a team or organisation, I do that too. Drop me an email to enquire!)

  • Research Comms 101

    For absolute beginners. A grounding in some basic principles of research communication that you can take away to apply to your own work.

    90 minutes
    £20 per person
    Max 10 attendees

    Learn more and book

  • Coping with Academic Stressors

    Studying and working in academia can be intensely stressful. Let’s talk about the common challenges of academic career paths and how to create a menu of options for looking after yourself (because goodness knows meditation is not always the answer).

    2 hours
    £25 per person
    Max 8 attendees

    Learn more and book

  • More workshops coming soon

    Get in touch if you want to know more

Let’s nerd out about research comms together

1:1 online research communication mentoring

There’s an increasing demand for researchers to make their work impactful, accessible and accountable beyond academia. I know, because I’ve got over a decade’s experience of doing that exact thing with my own research and at medical research funders.

If you want to really hone your skills in this area, you can book 1:1 mentoring time with me to work on whatever aspect of research comms you’d like.

Some examples of what we could cover in a research communication mentoring session:

  • How to develop a communications and engagement plan for your research project

  • How to tailor research communication to different audiences

  • How to consider equality, diversity and inclusion when planning research engagement

  • How to use research engagement to increase your research impact

Want to hire someone to handle research communications for a healthcare, neuroscience or psychological research project? I offer that too! Check out my Consultancy page.

  • Mentoring discovery call

    15 minutes

    Free

    For people who want to figure out whether research comms mentoring is right for them

    Book

  • Short 1:1 mentoring session

    30 minutes

    £35.00

    Book

  • Long 1:1 mentoring session

    60 minutes

    £60.00

    Book

What you get when you work with me

I'm Dr Clare Jonas: skills trainer, research communicator, and former academic.

When you work with me, you get:

  • My 10 years' experience of working in research communication and 20 years' experience of teaching, training, coaching and mentoring adults

  • My extensive education in psychology and neuroscience

  • My first-hand knowledge of working in academia as a PhD student, teaching fellow, postdoc and lecturer

  • My ability to assess research evidence and distil it into tangible ideas that you can use in your everyday life

  • My genuine delight in learning who you are and empowering you to develop skills to support your career and personal wellbeing

  • My deep personal commitment to kindness, honesty and integrity

  • And a lot of dad jokes, because my sense of humour is an important part of who I am (and gentle humour can be make it easier to learn new things and to regulate emotions when you’re talking about potentially challenging topics like wellbeing)

If you want to know more about me and my approach, check out my About Me page.

  • “Clare's workshop was outstanding and has had a profound effect on how I support my group and colleagues, and my own approach to life as a clinical academic.”

    - Dr Nick Evans, Senior Clinical Lecturer, University of Cambridge

  • "Clare's own experiences as an academic really influenced how she was able to empathise and value our lived experiences which was refreshing and very insightful. I would heartily recommend Clare to deliver your workshops as she really cares about your personal journey and supporting you in getting there on your own terms."

    - Dr Emma Ferguson-Coleman, Lecturer in Dementia and Ageing, GIAM, University of West London

  • "Clare's workshop set me up with key skills for coping with academic life. What I learned that day has been tremendously helpful to me in the years since."

    - Sam W, wellbeing workshop participant

  • "Clare consistently distils complicated science into tangible ideas and language that anyone can understand."

    - Stephanie Singer, founder and Creative Director of BitterSuite

  • "Clare handles workshops beautifully, with confidence, humour and a great deal of knowledge about teaching others."

    - NB, collaborator

Looking for a tailored skills development workshop for your team or organisation?