Leadership Academy FAQs

The Net+ Centre is delivering a suite of mentoring and training activities across its five-year programme, which includes the Leadership Academy and the Summer Schools as two separate activities.

The Leadership Academy is designed to build a cohort of emerging leaders in health and climate research (which we define broadly), who come from diverse sectors (academia, the public sector, NGOs and charities, business and creative industries) and backgrounds. To build a sense of community and to encourage networking and collaboration across these diverse sectors, the same participant cohort will attend the annual retreats across the three years of the Leadership Academy. The Academy’s annual retreats will provide training, knowledge exchange, mentoring and career development opportunities.

In contrast, the Net+ summer schools are aimed at skills training for health and climate change researchers in academic settings (postgraduate students and early career researchers who are within two years of submitting their PhD thesis). Applications to the summer school run on an annual basis, i.e. different participants take part each year.

We are looking for skilled and committed emerging leaders in health and climate research, who are working in one of four sectors: academia, the public sector, NGOs and charities, business and creative industries.

Applicants should:

• be working at the nexus of health and climate research. We define ‘research’ broadly: in working in one of our four target sectors (academia, public sector, NGOs and charities, business and creative industries), your work may be research (knowledge creation) that is highly applied and action-oriented (for example, planning and evaluating interventions, policies or forms of community/public engagement) or it may be more academic.
• be an emerging leader who is enthusiastic about working in an interdisciplinary way to champion a solutions-focused and positive approach to health and climate change:
• be either at an early career or mid-career stage
• currently work within the UK (but do not have to be British residents or citizens)
• commit to attending the three UK residential retreats (one each year, 2026-2028 inclusive)

We define ‘research’ broadly: in working in one of our four target sectors (academia, public sector, NGOs and charities, business and creative industries), your work may be research that is highly applied and action-oriented (for example, planning and evaluating interventions, policies or forms of public engagement) or it may be more academic. We want a diversity of people who are emerging leaders in health and climate across sectors and types of research. We are looking for people who carry out research in one or more of these varied forms; this means you’re actively involved in knowledge creation, rather than being someone who only uses existing research.

We are purposefully not being prescriptive here, as we are looking to recruit participants from across four diverse sectors (it would be impossible to do this in a meaningful way). What we are looking for is people who are already working, in some capacity, as catalysts for change within their own organisation, within their sector, or beyond. These people will be looking to be future leaders. They will likely be self-motivated, adaptable and creative; and keen to work with, and learn from, others from diverse backgrounds. By ‘leader’ and ‘leadership’, we encompass the wide range of ways that people lead in their research, such as (but not limited to): leading new ideas, methods or tests of interventions; showing creative leadership through innovations in practice; leading in the development of positive and inclusive research cultures in an organisation; and leading a team.

Applicants should be either early career or mid-career in their respective role. The following broad definitions are designed to encompass the wide range of backgrounds from which we seek to attract applicants:

• For the purposes of this call, an early career applicant (EC) is someone who is: Within 8 years of their first role in the field in which they are now working
• For the purposes of this call, a mid-career applicant (MC) is someone who is: At or beyond 8 years of their first role in the field in which they are now working
• Important: Time limits are inclusive of career breaks.

We would not normally include those in senior management roles in their organisation, or those who hold a full professor role at a university, as these roles would normally require extensive leadership experience to have been gained.

You can contact us if you have any questions about your eligibility.

Please note: this scheme is not open to those studying for research degrees. Please look out instead for the Centre’s PhD Summer Schools as the appropriate training opportunity.

Attendance will cost £300/year. This includes a contribution towards the cost of the annual retreat (accommodation, meals, registration fee). All participants will also need to cover their own travel expenses.

Participants will need to have paid the year’s attendance fee in full in advance, by the beginning of August each year. However, if you require flexibility in this deadline for operational reasons (for example, your organisation needs to pay before the end of the financial year or push the payment into the next financial year), we should be able to accommodate this.

Participants will need to advise the Net+ admin team on acceptance if they need deadline payment flexibility.

We expect participants to source funding from their institutions wherever possible. However, where a lack of funding would otherwise preclude involvement, the Net+ Centre will be able to cover the annual cost through a fee-waiver scholarship. Applicants requiring funding will need to indicate this in the relevant section of the application form. Funding requests do not form part of the selection criteria. Please note that scholarships do not cover travel expenses.

Part of the application form asks applicants to outline their sector, current role and responsibilities. This will be used, alongside the other information applicants provide, to select a diverse Academy cohort. However, we recognise that as emerging leaders, participants may well change role or organisation during the four-year tenure of the Academy. As long as participants are still working in a role where they are researching health and climate change as we define research, they will keep their Academy place.

The Net+ Leadership Academy is an opportunity for emerging leaders to work, learn and grow as leaders together: as they work to address the challenges and solutions associated with the transition to a healthier, greener and more equitable society. To maximise opportunities for peer-to-peer learning, networking and collaboration, the same participant cohort will attend throughout the three years. We ask all applicants to commit to attending all three residential retreats in person to meet this aim (recognising that there may be clear reasons which sometimes preclude involvement, such as parental or sickness leave).

Applicants will need to commit to attending a three-day, in-person retreat each year over the three years of the Academy (2026-2028 inclusive). The first Academy event will be held between 16 and 18 September 2026 at Dartington Hall in Devon, with a focus topic of Leading through connection and care.

The second and third retreats will provisionally be held on 15 to 17 September 2027 and 13 to 15 September 2028, respectively, with venues to be confirmed.

Fellows of the Leadership Academy will be key members of the Centre for Net Positive Health and Climate Solutions and will contribute to the life of the Centre through participating in activities such as the Centre’s seminar series and annual meeting (subject to Fellow availability). As members of the Centre, Fellows will perform an ambassadorial role for the Centre, alongside taking opportunities as they arise to get involved in the Centre’s research activities and developing its legacy.

The Net+ Leadership Academy is designed to build capacity in health and climate research throughout the UK, through fostering a community of emerging leaders who are well informed about the challenges and solutions to promote a healthier, greener and more equitable society. It is part of the Centre for Net Positive Health and Climate Solutions, a five-year project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

The retreats will run over three days, typically from early afternoon on day 1, to lunch on day 3. For many participants, this should enable travel to also be completed within the three-day window. Each retreat will focus on a topic of concern for health and climate researchers, with contributions from international experts working across the four sectors of the Academy.

In year one, for example, the topic theme is Leading through connection and care.

Retreats will involve participatory and experiential activities (for example, in year one, taking advantage of outdoor learning opportunities in the beautiful grounds of the Dartington Estate to link to the topic material on wellbeing); as well as more traditional seminar-based activities. Peer-to-peer learning and networking will be an important part of the retreats. As the Academy develops over the next few years, we expect the fellows themselves to increasingly shape the topic, content and potential contributors to the retreats; as well as taking the initiative on potential collaboration opportunities between retreats.

The retreats will also provide opportunities for training and mentoring (for example, expert-led training on developing leadership skills; mentoring with Net+ Leadership Team staff (many of whom are internationally recognised experts in their subject areas). Finally, the Academy will provide opportunities for fellows to work together on funding applications towards the Net+ Challenge Fund, and other Centre opportunities as they arise.

We actively welcome applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds and those who may require additional support to enable participation. At Net+, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion are part of our Foundational Principles and underpin all of our activities. For example, we will look to hold retreats at locations which value inclusive and accessible environments (e.g. read about Dartington, where the first retreat will be held); and we will host participants in sole-occupancy rooms (in Dartington, these will be the en-suite Courtyard bedrooms). Note that you can instead choose to camp on Dartington’s car-free campsite, if that is a better option for you.

To facilitate wellbeing and reduce sensory and information overload, we will endeavour to provide at least some of the learning in outdoor environments; and will provide the final retreat schedule at least a week in advance. Our aim is to make the retreats widely accessible, whether or not participants have declared a disability. There will be a named contact with responsibility for EDI at each retreat; and all participants (whether or not they have declared a disability) should feel free to get in touch directly to discuss any accessibility or support needs.

No! The Leadership Academy is designed to build a cohort of emerging leaders in health and climate research, who come from diverse sectors: academia, the public sector, NGOs and charities, business and creative industries. We will look to build a diverse cohort from people in different roles, organisations and career paths, across all four of these sectors. As we have a broad definition of research, you may be engaged in your role evaluating interventions, polices and public engagement, or you may be undertaking academic research. The retreats will also look to provide opportunities to learn from experts across all four of these sectors.

Each retreat will focus on a topic of concern for health and climate researchers, with contributions from international experts working across the four sectors of the Academy. In year one, the topic theme is Leading through connection and care. At each retreat, Academy fellows will help to decide a topical focus (a topic of current concern to health and climate change researchers) for the following year’s theme. Retreat locations will depend partly on the theme selected, but fellows should anticipate attending retreats in locations throughout the UK.

We ask all applicants to commit to attending all three residential retreats. The retreats are a 3-day residential event. We will endeavour to arrange the retreats so that travel and attendance will be within in this 3-day window. However, depending on your location, and that of the retreat, you may need additional travel time either side of the retreat.

You may be asked to do some reading and preparation in advance of the annual retreat. This should take no longer than half a day. Academy fellows will keep in touch over the year through a group Teams channel.

There are also a number of additional activities that Academy fellows may choose to take part in. For example, all fellows will be invited to the Centre’s Annual Meeting that takes place in June or July each year. There will also be other opportunities that arise through the Academy, such as: attending and contributing to the Centre’s online seminar series, working together towards funding applications for the Net+ Challenge Fund, collaborating on a conference session, co-writing a ‘think piece’ for the Centre’s blog, and contributing to the annual Net+ Summer School.

Eligible applicants will be selected on the following specified criteria based on responses to questions in the application: 

• Why you consider yourself to be an emerging leader in health and climate research (recognising that we define research broadly – see above) 

• Your motivation for participating in the Leadership Academy 

• How participating in the Leadership Academy will benefit your role and your career development 

• What you can contribute to the learning of others in the Academy 

• What you can contribute to the approach of the Centre for Net Positive Health and Climate Solutions in health and climate  

• A brief example from your research practice of how you work collaboratively  

The quality of applications received will be the main basis for candidate selection, based on these specified criteria.  

 Each specified criterion will be given a score using the following quality descriptors, with career stage being considered when scoring and making decisions: 

1.Poor: The application does not convey sufficient information and evidence to be able to evaluate its merits.
2. Weak: The application is worthy of consideration, but very limited detail is given with a generalised narrative that does not address the criteria.
3. Satisfactory: The application is adequate. Each criterion is addressed, but with limited explanation and gaps in information and evidence about the applicant’s appropriateness for inclusion in the Leadership Academy.
4. Good: Detailed responses are provided but these are not consistent across all criteria, with gaps remaining in the case for inclusion in the Leadership Academy.
5. Strong: The application is detailed for all criteria, offering evidence and a compelling narrative for the applicant’s inclusion in the Leadership Academy.
6. Outstanding:  Very clear responses against each criterion, providing detailed answers in a way that leaves no room for ambiguity and provides a compelling case for inclusion in the Leadership Academy. 

However, in making its final decisions, the selection panel will need to ensure that the final list of Fellows includes a diverse range of individuals, including diversity in career stage, sector, geographical location, gender and ethnicity.