Masterclasses
What university forgot to teach you.
The stuff your PhD programme never put on a timetable. Taught back in plain terms, one session at a time.
Three sessions
01Getting In
Applications, proposals, finding and approaching the right supervisor, and what actually gets read on a shortlist.
Surviving & Thriving
Wellbeing, productivity, politics, and the unspoken rules of the lab or department you just joined.
What Comes Next
Postdocs, industry, career paths, and the real question of whether to stay in academia at all.
Three sessions
01Foundations
How to think about and frame research. Picking questions that matter, and knowing why they matter.
Craft
Methodology, writing, and rigour. The work nobody teaches you because they assume you picked it up.
Impact
Translation, dissemination, and reach. Getting your work in front of the people it was meant for.
Cindy said, in one hour, the things no-one had told me in three years of my PhD. I left with a plan I actually wanted to work on.— Anna, 2nd year PhD, Edinburgh
Good to know.
Are these live or recorded?
Live on Zoom, small groups, and always recorded so you can watch back or catch up if something gets in the way on the day.
Do I need to be in a specific field?
No. The series are written from a STEM background but are deliberately general. The bits that are field-specific are flagged, and the rest applies whether you're in humanities, social sciences, or elsewhere.
Can I buy one session instead of the whole series?
Yes, and most people do. Each session stands on its own. If you buy individually and then want the rest, the cost rolls over.
What if I can't afford it?
Two bursary spots per session for anyone without institutional funding. Email me for details, no forms, no fuss.
When does Series 02 open?
Autumn 2026. Waitlist gets early-bird pricing and a say in the running order.
Not sure where to start?
Pick the one thing you're stuck on.
If one session title made you think "yes, that one", start there. If two did, do the series. If you want the whole map, take both.