DCU Pathways to Research Leadership Programme
Leading research
Want to enhance your research leadership, management and engagement skills? Expand your professional research network?
DCU's Pathways to Research Leadership Programme is a blended-learning programme for researchers designed by researchers, academics and learning and development professionals.
This programme is of benefit to researchers at all stages of their careers.
1. Leadership & Team Management
- Elevate Your Influence: Acquire proven leadership and management frameworks to effectively lead, motivate, and mentor a high-performing research team.
- Drive Research Success: Build your capability to organize research activities, delegate tasks efficiently, and manage resources to ensure timely and successful project delivery.
2. Funding Acquisition & Strategy
- Master Grant Writing: Advance your grant writing skills by learning strategic proposal development and language structuring that significantly increases your likelihood of securing competitive research funding.
- Navigate the Landscape: Become proficient in mapping and navigating the complex DCU research support structure and the wider external funding landscape to efficiently target and apply for the most relevant grants.
3. Professional Network & Collaboration
- Establish Key Partnerships: Develop the strategic skills necessary to establish, cultivate, and maintain robust, mutually fruitful national and international research collaborations.
- Expand Your Network: Engage in group mentoring sessions led by Principal Investigators (PIs) and connect with peers to create a strong, lasting professional network that supports career progression and new research initiatives.
4. Career Progression & Communication
- Define Your Trajectory: Formulate a clear, targeted career strategy by recognizing the necessary steps and milestones required to successfully transition from an early-career position to a senior research leadership role.
- Communicate for Impact: Refine your research communication skills, enabling you to persuasively present complex findings to diverse audiences—from funding panels to the general public—maximizing your research's impact and visibility.
The programme comprises 7 modules delivered face to face. Each one is focused on different aspects of the researchers' role and career journey. As part of the career development module there is also a one to one career coaching session.
Application Process:
We will launch the application process for this programme on the LMS in October 2026.
This course is free.
Course Title |
Details |
|
Module 1: |
This session will give you an overview of the Research Lifecycle, research integrity by design, and the research ethics processes at DCU. Date: 5/11/2026; 9.30-12 |
|
Module 2: |
This session will look at consciously planning your career paths. We will present possible trajectories in terms of types of funding per career level and have a panel discussion with experienced researchers. Date: 24/11/2026; 9.30-12 |
|
Module 3: |
This session will focus on developing funding plans as part of career development plan. Date: TBC |
|
Module 4: |
This session will focus on grant writing strategies and processes. Date: TBC |
|
Module 5: |
This session will focus on key skills necessary for the successful management of a research team. Date: TBC |
|
Module 6: |
This session will include practical support on communicating research findings and demonstrating impact of research as well as a panel discussion with experienced researchers sharing their practices. Date: TBC |
|
Module 7: |
This session will look at types of collaborations/progression in types of research collaboration and types of collaborative agreements. It will look at areas such as engaged research, as well as commercial and non-commercial collaborations. Date: TBC |