Leading a diverse research team is not a soft skill. It is one of the most technically demanding challenges in contemporary research, and most researchers receive little, if any, training for it.
The Leadership in Diverse Research Environments (LiDRE) programme prepares researchers at all career stages to lead diverse research groups and international projects with confidence, competence, and impact. While most leadership training focuses on generic management skills or institutional HR policies, LiDRE is built specifically for the research context: the complexity of externally funded projects, the dynamics of international consortia, and the expectations of funders and regulators who increasingly require evidence of inclusive practice. The programme aims to balance it all out with tools that support a pragmatic approach while still insisting on coherence and consistency to make diversity a driver of excellence and not a compliance matter.
LiDRE is a scalable, modular programme offered at three levels. Each tier is a complete intervention in its own right, and each builds on the last. Participants gain a shared vocabulary, research-specific tools, and a peer network that supports them long after the programme ends.
Expert advice tailored to your institutional context; supporting researcher growth within your unique environment.
Participants receive three months of complimentary access to our premium membership, providing continued support for career advancement.
Duration: 5 hours (two online sessions) + self-study toolkit
A compact online introduction to inclusive leadership in research. Participants build a shared vocabulary, recognise key concepts in research culture, and understand what funders increasingly expect. The right starting point for individuals or teams who need a confident, practical grounding, and the foundation for LiDRE Core.
Duration: 6 months (blended: online sessions + one full day in person + follow-up coaching)
Designed for researchers setting up their first group, taking on their first grant, or identified for internal talent development. Participants leave with hands-on team tools, a personalised culture action plan, and a peer network to draw on long after the programme ends.
Duration: 6 months (intensive: two-day residential retreat + individual coaching)
For those already leading or about to lead large multi-partner projects, such as ERC Synergy or IHI grants. Participants diagnose their own leadership style, design tailored interventions for their specific project culture, and work with individual coaching to evidence the impact of what they put in place.
By the end of LiDRE, participants will be able to:
by applying research-specific frameworks rather than generic management or diversity principles.
and translate compliance requirements into genuine leadership practice.
across institutional and national boundaries, under the pressures of funded project delivery.
understanding how their approach shapes the culture of their team and project.
by developing a practice of documenting and communicating what they have put in place, for funders, institutions, and future applications.
All workshop coaching and consultation activities are conducted in a safe, respectful, and confidential space, guided by professional ethical standards. Participants are encouraged to engage openly and reflect on their goals with confidence. Access to participant information is strictly limited to a small team of authorized facilitators, used only for preparing standardized feedback or reports. No personal details are ever disclosed or shared without explicit consent.
Research leaders and proposal teams are under increasing pressure to prove credible gender and diversity approaches, not as a checkbox, but as a scored strength in excellence, impact, and implementation….
International research collaborations succeed when people can participate, contribute, and thrive, yet many research environments still struggle with inclusion, belonging, and the practical realities of cross-cultural partnership working. For researchers…
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