Training – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Scriptoria Training delivers practical, high-impact professional development for researchers, research managers, and teams seeking to inform policy.

We help individuals, small teams and large groups/organisations turn strong ideas into funded projects, high-quality research into real-world impact, and complex programmes into well-managed delivery.

Our courses focus on the skills that matter most: securing funding, managing projects, strengthening impact and engagement, and communicating evidence clearly and persuasively to different audiences.

Scriptoria’s work spans advisory support, data systems and software development, and strategic communications. This page focuses on our dedicated training provision, informed by hands-on experience across each of these areas.

Our training supports individuals and teams including:

• Doctoral and postdoctoral researchers
• Early-, mid-, and senior-career academics
• Research leaders, principal investigators, and project managers
• Research development, research management, and professional services staff
• Clinicians, allied health professionals, and other health-related roles

We work with a wide range of organisations, including:

• Universities and research institutes (across Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts for People and the Economy (SHAPE) disciplines)
• Governing bodies and arm’s-length bodies (ALBs)
• Public sector organisations, including the NHS
• Non-profits, charities, and third-sector organisations
• Research-intensive teams embedded within policy, delivery, or service-focused settings

The training sessions can be adapted for delivery to mixed cohorts, role-specific groups, or at whole-team or organisational level.

Scriptoria’s training is delivered by professionals who combine academic credibility with real-world delivery experience.

Our trainers are:

• PhD-qualified
• Actively engaged in research, consultancy, or programme delivery
• Highly experienced in grant writing, academic publishing, research management, data management and monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL).
• Because our trainers work directly with funders, research teams, and international programmes, participants gain practical insight grounded in current funding landscapes and delivery realities, with tools and examples they can apply immediately in their own work.

Yes. Scriptoria trainers remain directly involved in:

• Research and evaluation projects
• Grant development and funding strategy
• Research management and programme delivery
• Work with funders, publishers, policy teams, and international organisations

As a result, our courses reflect the current funding landscape, publishing expectations, and delivery pressures that research teams are navigating right now.

Scriptoria training is practice‑led, current, and strategic. We focus on building lasting capability, drawing directly on live projects and real‑world experience, and adapting delivery to your sector, discipline, and organisational context.

Our training is designed to deliver practical improvements, including:

• Stronger, more competitive funding proposals
• Clearer, more structured research writing
• Improved confidence in managing projects and teams
• More strategic engagement and impact planning
• Increased ability to communicate complex ideas to non-specialists

Where appropriate, we work with clients to clarify objectives and define the intended outcomes of the course in advance.

We deliver a wide range of practical, applied training and development support across the full research and innovation lifecycle.

Our services include:

• Full-day interactive courses that develop practical skills in Journal Article Writing, Grant Writing, Project Management, Advocacy, and Facilitation
• Advanced grant development workshops, including Mock Review Panels
• Tailored writeshops for manuscripts, theses, and live grant calls
• Mini Masterclasses on focused topics such as Data Management, Narrative CV Writing, Research Profile Building, Presentation Skills, and Effective Writing
• One-to-one mentoring, document review, and structured grant feedback

All sessions are highly interactive and grounded in real-world experience. Whether delivered as a standalone workshop, a development pathway, or targeted 1:1 support, our focus is on practical tools, implementation, and measurable improvement rather than abstract theory.

Detailed course outlines are available via our brochure or discussed directly to ensure the right format for your needs.

Yes. Many of our programmes are adapted to reflect the specific needs of the organisation and cohort.

This may include tailoring to:

• Specific disciplines, sectors, or thematic priorities
• Organisational goals and operating contexts
• Career stage or professional role
• Existing internal frameworks or processes

Where appropriate, we shape content around your real-world challenges and objectives, rather than delivering generic material.

Training can be delivered:

• Online
• In person
• As part of a blended programme

A blended programme combines different delivery formats over time. For example, this might include live online sessions alongside in‑person workshops, follow‑up practical sessions, or independent applied work between sessions. Blended delivery works particularly well for longer programmes, where participants benefit from structured reflection and implementation.

Delivery format is agreed in line with your objectives, cohort size and location, and preferred level of interaction.

All sessions are designed to be highly participatory, combining expert input with exercises, peer discussion, and applied work on participants’ own material where appropriate.

Yes. Many clients choose to complement workshops with follow-up mentoring, document review, or applied sessions to embed learning and support implementation.

Yes. Although all our trainers are PhD-qualified and have academic experience, they also bring industry backgrounds and extensive consultancy experience across multiple sectors, particularly in sustainable development.

Over more than 20 years of delivering professional training, we have developed a deep understanding of how research, evidence, and knowledge operate within real organisational, policy, and service environments.

Our training is therefore designed for any organisation working with research, data, or evidence-informed decision-making, including public bodies, ALBs, charities, non-profits, and service organisations such as the NHS.

Yes. We regularly adapt training to support:

• Policy development and evidence use
• Programme and project delivery
• Organisational learning and capability development
• Research embedded within operational or service environments

Content is adapted to reflect the practical realities of delivery, governance, and stakeholder engagement within your context.

Yes. We deliver training across both STEM and SHAP disciplines and frequently work with mixed-disciplinary cohorts.

Our focus is on transferable skills that operate across disciplinary boundaries, and on helping participants communicate and position their work effectively for different audiences, journals, and funders.

Yes. We frequently tailor sessions to reflect the requirements of particular funders, calls, or institutional priorities. 

Yes. We regularly support principal investigators, senior academics, and organisational leaders in strengthening funding strategy, research positioning, and team capability.

We recommend booking as early as possible to secure preferred dates. Our training calendar is planned in advance to ensure high-quality delivery and appropriate preparation time.

We regularly deliver individual workshops and structured programmes across the academic year. Where timelines are tight, we will always do what we can to explore suitable options, while maintaining the standards and preparation that underpin our training.

Early contact allows us to advise clearly on availability and next steps.

Yes. Alongside one-off workshops, we design and deliver:

• Multi‑session programmes
• Cohort‑based development pathways
• Training aligned with wider organisational initiatives
• One‑to‑one grant writing mentoring and structured feedback

Programmes can be sequenced to support sustained development rather than isolated learning.

Our training brochure is available on request. Please contact us via our website (scriptoria.co.uk/training-courses) or email (training@scriptoria.co.uk) and we’ll be happy to share it. 

We prefer to provide detailed course information directly to ensure discussions remain relevant, current, and tailored to your context.

Our website provides a high-level overview. More detailed outlines, example structures, and customisation options are shared via our brochure and client discussions. 

This approach helps protect our intellectual property while ensuring the information you receive is accurate, up to date, and aligned with your needs. 

Quality is underpinned by:

• Experienced specialist trainers with deep subject expertise
• Continuous refinement of course materials and content, informed by live project work and sector developments, including close tracking of changes from major funders such as UKRI and its transition from Je-S to the Funding Service
• Structured participant feedback shared with clients after each session and used to inform ongoing improvement
• Clear learning objectives and practical outcomes

Yes. We work with international research organisations, funders, public bodies, and non-profits, delivering training globally. We have worked in countries including South Africa, Uganda, Thailand, Belgium, Portugal, and France.

We are able to travel internationally for in-person delivery where required. Training can be delivered in both English and French, and is designed to operate effectively across different systems, sectors, and cultural contexts.

The best starting point is to contact us directly. We’ll arrange a short conversation to:

• Understand your goals
• Explore suitable options
• Share our brochure and examples
• Discuss scope, format, and timing

There is no obligation at this stage. Our aim is to help you identify the most effective and proportionate approach.

Please contact us via our website (scriptoria.co.uk/training-courses) or email (training@scriptoria.co.uk)