Jaydene Witchell, PhD.
Connecting researchers and funders for greater impact
About
Navigating the research funding landscape can be challenging for both researchers and research development managers. Unclear success criteria, shifting funder priorities, and the pressure to secure funding while building a sustainable research career often make it difficult to know where to focus time and effort. Jaydene Witchell brings over 17 years of experience across the full research project lifecycle, offering a rare, funder-informed perspective on research funding strategy, grant development, and researcher support.
With more than a decade at the Wellcome Trust and senior roles within leading UK universities, Jaydene has deep insight into how funding decisions are made and what differentiates competitive proposals. Now working independently as a consultant, she partners with charities, foundations, and universities to strengthen funding operations and scale research and researcher development. Acting as a connector between funders, institutions, and individuals, her work empowers researchers and research development professionals to navigate the grant process with clarity, confidence, and strategic intent.
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Researcher professional development and career alignment
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Funders–university collaboration
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Research funding strategy and grant writing
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Research management, governance, and contracting
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Grant review, evaluation, and funding panel processes
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Training and capacity-building for research managers
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PhD in Molecular Biology
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Funding panel management at the Wellcome Trust (10+ years), alongside consultancy work with smaller charitable funders
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Research development and management roles across five UK higher education institutions in the UK, including King's College London and University of Southampton
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Creator of Train-the-Trainer and grant-writing workshops, including programmes delivered for the Association of Research Managers and Administrators (UK)
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Recognised connector bridging funders and researchers
Training Workshops
Our training courses are delivered as interactive workshops designed to build practical skills and confidence among researchers. These sessions may be conducted online or in-person and are fully customizable to meet the specific needs, goals, and context of your institution.
We work in partnership with you, the researcher development managers to extend the range of professional and transferable skills available within your training portfolios, helping you to empower your researchers at scale.
Our Coaching & Consultation services provide personalized 1:1 mentoring for researchers at any career stage. Sessions can be booked individually online or purchased in bulk at a discounted rate, offering flexibility and value for institutions and individuals alike.
Are you a researcher trying to identify the right funding opportunities, strengthen your grant applications, or understand why proposals are not progressing as expected? Navigating the research funding landscape can….
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