Principal Investigators

Training and support for staff who act as Principal Investigators (PIs) and research leaders.

Two students and a lecturer in white lab coats.

We provide training and support for all Principal Investigators (PIs) and research leaders. Our offer focuses on helping you develop key competencies as research leaders in areas such as self-leadership, leading and managing people and teams, leading and managing research projects, and your role in building positive research environments.

Who is a Principal Investigator?

To understand if this training and support is relevant to you, our working definition of who is a Principal Investigator (PI) is:

A Principal Investigator is a staff member who is responsible for the intellectual leadership and overall management of a research project, who may lead or manage individuals or teams.

This definition encompasses a wide range of people in research and focuses on the roles and responsibilities of the person rather than their career stage or formal titles.

To read more about how we define a PI, read our blog on “Who is a PI?”

We offer a variety of training and support from bitesize events to full training programmes. To find out more about the current offer, click on the tabs below.

At-a-glance events for PIs

Spotlight sessions

Spotlight sessions are short bite-size online events aimed at PIs and research leaders that offer an opportunity to enhance your leadership capabilities, obtain information, connect with peers across the institution, and build your professional network. If you’re short on time and just want the key ideas, and time to think and discuss how to use them in practice, then these sessions are for you!

Online toolkits

The online toolkits provide an in-depth introduction to specific aspects of the PI role, summarising essential policies, regulations and procedures with structured guidance, downloadable help-sheets and links to further resources to help you navigate through the key requirements. The online toolkits are self-paced and can be accessed at any time.

Panels & Workshops

Panels and workshops provide an opportunity to discuss and learn from peers and learn key skills relevant for PIs. Both the panels and the workshops are informed and shaped by you, and we welcome your suggestions for what topics you would like to see, either in a Researcher Realities panel event or as part of a half-day workshop. More information on both options is available below.

Leadership development programmes

Leadership development programmes are available for academic staff who are new or experienced research leaders. The following provides an overview of available options most relevant for PIs.

Writing retreats

Opportunities for protected and focused writing time in a structured and supportive environment to progress on projects. These sessions are not writing workshops, they are simply a dedicated space and time to write, strengthened by accountability and peer support. Participants should come to the session with an idea of what they are going to be working on and be ready to switch off other distractions to just write. There are a variety of writing retreats to choose from to suit your schedule and needs.