SeedWISE: Enterprise training for women DPhil researchers
For Women DPhil students in STEMM at Oxford who want to create exciting futures, SeedWISE offers a chance to meet your tribe and interact with innovation learning that prompts self-reflection and actional plans for success on your terms.
SeedWISE trinity term 2025-2026
apply here for your place!
Application deadline: Close of Business on Monday 23 March
You will be notified of the outcome after selection has taken place ASAP after the closing deadline.
Please check you can make ALL programme dates before applying (see below).
“Creating solutions, building things you care about, and driving change. That’s entrepreneurship.” Karina Popovich
what will you gain from seedwise?
- Explore enterprise thinking, concepts and competencies to expand your future horizons and career options
- Apply self-reflection and self-awareness to analyse and create a values and strengths-based lens to shape intentional choices and decision making
- Develop collaboration, networking and communication skills to frame interactions and understand audiences so that you feel confident in social situations and with employers and stakeholders
- Apply insights to clearly communicate the value you bring and your career interests and motivations
- Create actionable plans to create agency for your future
What do previous participants say?
I felt emboldened to reach out directly to someone whose career I admire and she offered to arrange a call – I’m speaking to her in 2 weeks!
I have become more proactive with networking, reaching out for help, and I have learned about many opportunities from the educators and women attending the course.
Contact the SeedWISE team
Get in touch with Louisa Trevail at mpls.enterprise@mpls.ox.ac.uk for any queries about the SeedWISE application, schedule, deposit payment, time commitment, and more.
The Commitment
The impact of the programme depends on participation. To gain the full benefit of SeedWISE, participants must:
- Attend all three days
- Actively engage in group discussion and exercises
- Be willing to reflect honestly
- Support peers through structured feedback and reflection
Our Approach
SeedWISE is a reflective and participatory experience. It requires openness, engagement and willingness to contribute.
- Highly interactive with a different home group for each of the three days
- Structured in 60-minute focused sessions with breaks and reflection time
- Built on equitable participation principles inspired by Nancy Klein’s Time to Think and Lego® Serious Play methods
The days run from 0930–1630, allowing time for deep thinking without burnout.
SeedWISE is not about pushing you towards entrepreneurship or venture creation. It is about equipping you with entrepreneurial thinking and competencies (EntreComp) — self-reflection, initiative, opportunity recognition, stakeholder awareness — skills and knowledge that are transferable to whatever path you choose.
- Deep identity work alongside practical communication training
- Enterprise thinking framed as a transferable mindset, not business start-up training
- Clear distinction between long-term vision and short-term execution
- Structured group rotation to build broad peer connections across departments and foster a sense of community that reaches beyond the programme
Who is this programme for?
SeedWISE is designed for DPhil students. It is particularly valuable if you:
- Have focused heavily on academic achievement but are now curious about broader career possibilities
- Feel unsure about structures outside academia and are uncertain how to articulate your value in those contexts
- Want more information and space/time to reflect, to prepare you for making career decisions
- Want to hear from others in a similar position and are open to interactive, reflective and participatory learning
- Are curious about entrepreneurship but have not taken any steps and are feeling unsure about what’s involved.
Who is this programme NOT for?
SeedWISE may not be the right fit if you:
- Are looking for a job-application/CV writing workshop
- Want a quick fix or immediate job leads
- Prefer lecture-style learning with minimal interaction
- Have already completed significant structured career planning and action mapping
- Have an entrepreneurial idea that you are ready to move forwards now. Instead take part in a venture creation focused programme like a bootcamp or accelerator
SeedWISE gave me the platform to grow my confidence and more importantly made me realise that my values are as important as my professional goals, and I owe it to myself and to society to make every effort to grow and realise my full potential in order to have impact both in and outside academia. SeedWISE helped me realise I can achieve both!
Lessah Mandoloma
Cohort 3, SeedWISE
DPhil student, Biology
African Universities Ambassador
SeedWISE follows a clear three-day progression.
Day 1: Understanding Yourself
We begin inwardly. Through structured reflection, facilitated discussion and Lego® Serious Play identity work, you will build a coherent picture of who you are now — and who you are becoming.
With your group you will explore:
- Your values, strengths and motivations
- How your academic identity has shaped you
- The differences between academic and industry careers following a panel with speakers from both sectors
- The assumptions influencing your career thinking
You will also form a reflection partnership to deepen your programme experience.
Outcome: A clearer internal compass.
Day 2: Engaging with the World
We shift outward. This day focuses on communication, collaboration and interaction — not abstract CV advice, but lived engagement skills.
With your group you will:
- Practise articulating your strengths, skills and motivations
- Develop networking and stakeholder engagement approaches
- Meet women developing entrepreneurial ventures and ask them your questions in an interactive panel
- Understand employer needs and explore how to articulate your value to them
Outcome: Greater confidence engaging beyond academia.
Participant Reflection
Day 3: Planning and Positioning Your Future
We look forward. Using Lego® Serious Play to consolidate your value proposition, you will translate insight into action.
In your groups you will:
- Write and share your long-term Success Story as if it has already happened
- Identify key stakeholders and career enablers
- Develop a compelling personal value proposition
- Create a 3–6 month action plan
Outcome: An intentional and actionable next step plan to move you forwards towards your success.
How: Apply for your place online by COB on Monday 23 March by filling in this short, online form
Selection will take place ASAP after this deadline and you will be notified of the outcome.
If you have any queries, please contact Louisa at mpls.enterprise@mpls.ox.ac.uk
When and where: Careers Service, 56 Banbury Rd, Park Town, Oxford OX2 6PA
Do check all the dates carefully as we expect you to join the programme in its entirety.
Please note that we ask for a fully refundable £30.00 deposit when enrolling; this is refunded to you on successful completion of the course.
|
DATE |
TIME |
LOCATION |
|
Monday 20 April |
16.00 - 17.00 Welcome and introduction call (please note that attendance to this induction confirms your place) |
ONLINE |
|
Monday 27 April |
1000 - 1600 Day One: Reflect |
Careers Lounge |
|
Monday 18 May |
1000 - 1600 Day Two: Explore |
Careers Lounge |
| Monday 8 June |
1000- 1600 Day Three: Action |
Careers Lounge |
If you are offered a place on the programme, we will ask you to confirm your place by payment of a £30 deposit.
This deposit is fully refundable on completion of the course in its entirety.