An external training partner for your Centre for Doctoral Training.
Commission ORBIT to deliver cohort-wide Responsible Research and Innovation training across your CDT, from a single induction workshop to a multi-year programme threaded through your students' training plan. Independent, cross-institutional, evidenced against UKRI expectations.
Why CDTs work with us.
EPSRC asks every Centre for Doctoral Training to embed a culture of Responsible Research and Innovation across the cohort programme, and most CDTs find the expertise to teach it well rarely sits inside one department. We work alongside in-house RRI leads where they exist, and we deliver the full programme where they do not.
- 01Independent, cross-institutional facilitators with working experience across more than 25 UK universities, not generalists reading from someone else's deck.
- 02Built around the EPSRC AREA framework and the 4Ps, so the material maps directly onto current UKRI expectations for responsible innovation.
- 03Bespoke scoping for every commission: discipline, stage, cohort size, supervisors, partner organisations. We tailor before delivery, not during.
- 04UKRI-evidenced outputs that CDT directors can cite in monitoring returns and annual reporting.
- 05Open material your cohort can keep using between sessions: the AREA 4P framework guide, RRI Maturity tool, self-assessment instruments. Free, no account needed.
- 06UK not-for-profit pricing, scoped to the work, sitting comfortably within standard EPSRC training budgets.
What you can commission.
Most CDTs start with a single workshop. Some build that into a multi-session programme across the academic year. Whichever scale suits your cohort, the same AREA framework foundation runs through it.
Single induction workshop
A one-day RRI Training session for your incoming cohort, scoped to your CDT's research themes. The most common starting point.
Multi-session programme
RRI, stakeholder engagement, ethical AI and sustainability sessions threaded through the cohort's training plan, timed to align with progression milestones.
Bespoke RRI curriculum
A structural part of your CDT training rather than a one-off. We work with the CDT director to design the full RRI strand across the four-year doctoral programme.
Cross-CDT consortium
One delivery covering multiple CDTs at a shared host venue. Particularly useful for thematic clusters that already share resources.
How we work with you.
The end-to-end process, from first enquiry to delivered cohort programme:
Scoping conversation
We listen to where your cohort is and what your CDT needs.
Written proposal
Within three working days. Format, dates, costs and the facilitators we are proposing.
Tailoring
We shape the material to your cohort's disciplines, projects and current training plan.
Delivery
In person at your institution or a host venue, by the named facilitator.
Follow-on
We share tools and recommendations the cohort can keep using afterwards.
Recommended courses.
The courses CDT directors commission most often. All scoped to the cohort in advance.
RRI Training
The flagship working introduction to Responsible Research and Innovation, the EPSRC AREA framework and the 4Ps.
View courseStakeholder Engagement
Practical training in stakeholder mapping, feedback and the social and ethical dimensions of engagement.
View courseDesign of Ethical AI Systems
Embed ethical considerations across the lifecycle of AI, robotics and big data research.
View courseCommon CDT questions.
Can ORBIT be evidenced in UKRI and EPSRC annual reporting?
Yes. Every cohort receives a written summary, the AREA framework outputs they produced, and a participation record. CDT directors and DTP managers can cite ORBIT delivery, cohort size, AREA coverage and outputs directly in UKRI monitoring returns and annual reporting. Happy to provide a short evidencing note on request.
Do you work with consortia of CDTs?
Yes. Cross-CDT cohort training is one of the formats we deliver most frequently, particularly for thematic clusters that already share resources. One delivery covers multiple CDTs or DTPs at a shared host venue.
How do you handle cohorts spread across multiple universities?
We deliver in person at a host institution, agreed in advance with the CDT director. Travel and accommodation for facilitators are included in the written quote, so cohorts spread across multiple universities can converge on one venue without surprise costs.
Can you sit alongside our existing in-house RRI provision?
Yes, often. Where a CDT already has an in-house RRI lead, we work alongside that lead and pick up the elements they do not have time or capacity to deliver. Where there is no in-house provision, we run the full programme.
What does pricing look like for a CDT engagement?
Pricing depends on cohort size, format and degree of tailoring. Most CDT engagements sit within standard EPSRC training budgets. We are a UK not-for-profit, so fees reflect delivery cost rather than commercial margin. We provide a written quote within a few working days of an initial conversation.
Talk to us about your CDT cohort.
Tell us the cohort, the topics you need covered and your preferred timing. We reply within one working day with a suggested fit and a fixed quote.