Dr Emma Williams, researcher developerResearchers are too talented to be stuck
They're super literate, super numerate, problem solving, project managing warriors. And yet so many of them are stuck.
I'm a researcher development consultant. I work with universities and their researchers to stop the stuck, with bespoke workshops, programmes and coaching. The Dr is in physics: a degree, a PhD and a postdoc in MRI, all at Cambridge.
- 24 years in researcher development
- Four books on research careers
- 500+ researchers coached across 600+ sessions
- 400+ women through UNIque
Where are you?
In the driving seat of their careers
That's where researchers want to be. If you develop researchers, you want that for them too.
A partner who gets it right without needing to be managed
You're running a programme with a thin team and a budget to defend. I design and deliver workshops, leadership programmes, coaching, facilitation and evaluation around your researchers and your brief. Materials, delivery and follow-up included.
Someone in your corner who knows the unwritten rules
Finishing a PhD, mid-way through a postdoc, or applying for a fellowship or lectureship? I was a postdoc myself. One hour of coaching, just between us, and you leave knowing your next move and why it's yours.
Trusted by universities
What my university clients say
The three things researcher developers ask before they book, answered by people who book me.
"Emma supported prospective fellows at York, providing advice on everything from application writing to choosing the best schemes. Everyone found her helpful, knowledgeable and supportive."
"This is our most popular programme, consistently oversubscribed, and it boasts an exceptional retention rate of over 80%, a figure that is virtually unheard of in the current climate."
"Your professionalism, positivity and sense of humour combine to make our collaborations seamless and the impact you provide for participants is outstanding."
Working with King's College London, Queen Mary, Imperial, UCL, the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, York, Bath, Exeter and Surrey, Cardiff, Edinburgh Napier, Queen's Belfast, Strathclyde, the Open University, the White Rose University Consortium, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the British Academy, Cancer Research UK and more.
What I do
Bespoke, never a script
I take the challenge you bring and solve it with whichever tools fit, from coaching to LEGO Serious Play.
What I believe
We are all a wonderful collection of skills and experiences. It is these we take forward into our careers.
Our world needs researchers in every sphere, but the journey to proactive, positive careers takes a passionate advocate.
That's my job. Gifting the world the brightest and best, inside academia and far beyond it.
The books
I've even written a book or three
Four, actually. All about unlocking our researcher talent base.
Get That Fellowship with the Researcher Canvas
The workbook built around my Researcher Canvas, for fellowship applicants.
Leaving Academia
"The book I wish I'd had 20 years ago!"Business Book Awards 2025 finalist. Ditch the itchy, scratchy comfort blanket.
The UNIque Guide for Women
"Thought-provoking, hand-holding and challenging"The Amazon bestseller that took my UNIque course to a wider world.
What Every Postdoc Needs to Know
"The postdoc bible"Now in its second edition, with Liz Elvidge and Carol Spencely.
Free to use
Get in the driving seat today
Three free resources, for researchers and for the people who develop them.
Want to avoid the plummet?
The Leaving Academia toolkit, built around Peak to Peak: move on at the right time, from peak to peak, avoiding the plateau.
Thinking of leaving academia?
A short quiz to help you see where you are, and which way you're leaning.
The Researcher Canvas
A visual tool to explore your research and career. Download the canvas and see how it works.
Meet Emma
I've been there and worn the lab coat
And the scrubs, and whatever professional services wear!
Ever tried explaining the university sector to someone outside? How very clever people create organisations that are just, well, a bit bonkers? You don't need a PhD to work here. But it helps.
I bring over three decades in and around higher education to supporting our brightest and best, starting with building the University of Cambridge's researcher development programme in its early days. Our world needs them in every sphere.
Coach. Coffee lover. Author. Archer. Puzzler. Physicist. Mentor. Mum. Speaker. Specialist.
Lots of labels! But labels can't fully describe the UNIque you or me.
- Inspirational Women in STEM and Construction Award, 2025
- Leaving Academia featured in Nature and a Business Book Awards 2025 finalist
- Writing for Times Higher Education
Let's talk
Let's stop the stuck
Tell me what you're trying to do for your researchers this year.
In 30 minutes we'll work out whether I'm the right partner and what it could look like. Bespoke, built around your researchers.
