Training and support

I offer training and support in academic writing and publishing, and in setting up and running mentoring schemes.

I’m also able to develop training in most other areas that support academic career progression, and the development of People, Culture and Environment in Higher Education.

See below for a note on costs

Writing and publishing

“I have attended Mike’s writing courses and had one-to-ones to develop research grant proposals. Mike is fantastic both in terms of practical help and moral support. He provided an incredible environment to write in. I felt an empowering sense of camaraderie.”

Participant, Career Development Fund programme, Summer 2023

For academics, the ability to write and publish regularly is absolutely crucial. The support I offer focuses not only on writing ‘content’, but offers a concrete strategy for finding regular, productive writing time, planning and growing publications, understanding journals and developing motivation and resilience.

I offer:

  • The Academic Writing Programme – a three-month engagement that combines regular learning, writers’ retreats, discussion and small-groups, panel sessions, readings and 1:1 support.
  • Writers’ retreats – full or half-days, for focused writing or for group development of publications and/or proposals.
  • Standalone training – on a wide range of topics to do with academic writing and publishing, mostly for Early Career academics/researchers and PGRs.
  • Individual coaching – on all aspects of academic writing and publishing
  • Other support – proofing, editing, formatting, detail-checking – for other authors

I can also translate from French into English.

Follow this link (opens pdf) for more information on training and support linked to academic writing and publishing.

I still have the pipeline tool stuck up on my wall, and I use it all the time to see where I’m at, and plan what I’m going to write next.

Marie Curie Fellow – 2023 Academic Writing Programme

Mentoring support and training

I have been a mentor for over 30 years. As the person responsible for the development of 1400 researchers at a Russell Group university, I designed, implemented and assessed mentoring schemes. I have run an online mentoring platform. I understand what it means to be a mentor and a mentee, and what it means to support mentors and mentees, and make choices about how to effectively run, scale, and demonstrate value from mentoring. This experience means that I can provide end-to-end support to universities and other organisations in both mentoring programmes, and the use and selection of online mentoring tools.

I offer:

  • Training – for mentors, mentees, administrators of mentoring programmes
  • Evaluation – to gather feedback, improve schemes and demonstrate Return On Investment
  • Advice – about scaling, moving to an online platform, organisation of data, etc.
  • Consultancy and support – to embed mentoring into universities’ visions for People, Culture and Environment.

I can also offer end-to-end support for designing, setting up, running, evaluating and improving entire schemes.

Follow this link (opens pdf) for more information on training and support linked to mentoring.

Additional training

  • Careers 1:1s and coaching for PhD students from the WHEN “100 Black Professors” cohort. Run in 2025
  • Personality types, a guide for medical undergraduates. Run in 2024
  • Careers training for research staff – half-day introduction to thinking strategically about careers. Run in 2021, 22, 23
  • Career orientations for early career postdocs. Run in 2019, 20
  • Community placement for medical students – 2 week, full-time placement focusing on deaf awareness. Run in 2017, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22
  • Residential postdoctoral orientations for early career academics. Run in 2017, 18, 19

I wanted to let you know that [my getting a job] is a direct result of the training I received… I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your support throughout the duration of the scheme. It has been invaluable to me.

Academic of French African heritage – Career Development fund 2023.

A note on costs

As a Higher Education ‘native’, I believe that organisations should not have to pay over the odds for quality support. I also believe in complete transparency and in not inflating quotes based on available budget. I cost my time at about the rate of a Senior Lecturer or an OD manager, and then factor in things like NI, tax, pension, holiday pay, etc…. and end up charging £500 a day.

How many days any one project takes depends on what’s involved, and the overall price will incorporate expenses, etc. But as a rough guide:

  • The Academic Writing Programme takes 8-10 days, and so currently costs between £80 and £100 per person for the whole programme.
  • Writers’ retreats and other established training cost approx £25 per person.
  • Mentoring support varies depending on how involved I am, but to design and run a scheme for 100 people including: scoping, on-site training of mentors and mentees, manual matching, in-scheme communications, evaluation, and ongoing feedback to scheme sponsors, costs approx £50 per person. Alternatively simply training mentors and mentees would cost about £10 a person.

I don’t charge for any initial conversations, and would be delighted to ‘just have a chat’ about any of the services that I offer.

I agree all quotes in advance, and don’t charge extra – even if it takes me more time (my mistake, not yours!)