MPLS Enterprise Short Courses

The focus

The audience for the short courses are in general those firmly in the research arena. They are on one side of the bridge between pure research and enterprise. These short courses have been designed to show them that enterprise is a possible route to explore and engage with, and also give them plenty of tools and approaches that they can take back and apply in their immediate research.

To highlight the career option side of enterprise we choose appropriate case studies from the academic arena ensuring we select potential role models as diversely as possible. Skillset and mindset exercises need to be built in to address resistance to potential enterprise career routes. The barriers include the sunk cost fallacy (I’ve invested all this time in being a chemist), perception of other employment areas as more secure and confidence to try more entrepreneurial routes even in research (Innovate UK funding for instance).

All courses are being planned for virtual delivery with 9.30 – 13.00 time slot. This allows for 2x90 minute sessions with a break between. Courses are usually available to book at the start of the term in which they run.

Please complete the Expression of Interest form to let us know which short course you are interested in. When registration opens for courses you'd like to hear about, we will contact you with more information.

See the course programme for booking for current courses (click on the 'Enterprise' tab). 

Pitching for Funding - 09/11/2022

Those with money need to know about you and why they should place their investment in you and your venture. This may be a pitch for research funds, a pitch in an enterprise competition or a presentation asking for an R & D budget. It is a skill that is much needed for the next career step. This interactive course will use your research as a starting point but feel free to come with a business venture idea too. 

Pitching yourself: how to get people interested in you and your research- 23/11/2022

Science seldom exists in a vacuum – working with other ‘stakeholder’ groups brings an array of benefits not to mention the potential for funding. Ensuring you have the right message for the right person in a language they can understand will foster the necessary relationships that will lead to success. A personal history of collaboration and funding is increasingly sought after on fellowship and lectureship applications. This course aims to get you thinking about widening your research through collaboration with others (academics, companies, charities, patients…).

Research ideas with enterprise tools: Ideation - 25/01/2023

Where do you get your research ideas from? How can you generate new experiments or outlooks? This interactive course will take some great ideation tools and explore how you can use them individually to enhance your research. We will then look at collaborative online tools to generate ideas because in science we rarely work alone.

Research ideas with enterprise tools: Evaluation - 08/02/2023

What makes an idea worth exploring with a research grant or as a business? How do we evaluate our own ideas? We will explore enterprise tools for evaluating ideas that can be used in research settings. We will also look at tools which can capture feedback from others in constructive ways that enhance our proposals. 

Research ideas with enterprise tools: Charting it out - 22/02/2023

Bringing all aspects of your research project together for presentation, dissemination or applying for funding can be really tricky. How do you know you have everything? In this interactive course we will explore the Business Model Canvas (our enterprise tool) and then use the Research Model Canvas to chart out the next steps for our research plans. 

Taking your research into enterprise: Business plan meets grant - 08/03/2023

A business plan and a research grant share many of the same ingredients. We will learn from researchers just like you who have taken their research down the innovation track. We will review the elements of business plans / innovation grants and see how they play out in the exciting enterprise arena. In this interactive course you will explore business plan tools and have a chance to ask questions from an enterprising researcher. 

Taking your research into enterprise: Practicalities - 22/03 /2023

Taking your research in an enterprising direction sounds great but just how do you do it practically? Who do you need on your team? How do you split your time? What works? What doesn’t? In this interactive course we will look at building a team and setting up an enterprise. There will be a chance to ask questions from an enterprising researcher about lessons they have learnt on the way. 

Please complete the Expression of Interest form to let us know which short course you are interested in. When registration opens for courses you'd like to hear about, we will contact you with more information. 

For more information or any queries please contact Anne Miller.