Breakthrough

The research system has changed. Will you change with it?

For decades, researchers have been shaped by a research system built on hierarchy, grant cycles and slow, incremental progress. Publish papers, secure funding and move steadily up the academic ladder. For a long time that system worked well enough.

Today the landscape is shifting. Researchers everywhere are feeling the pressure. Opportunities are shrinking, funding feels more competitive, institutions are struggling to keep pace and industrial philanthropy and global investors are increasingly shaping the direction of discovery. Many researchers are beginning to sense that the rules they were trained to follow no longer match the world they now work in.

That feeling isn't imagined.

Breakthrough reveals what's really happening beneath the surface of the research economy. It explains why so many talented researchers feel stuck, under-funded and unable to gain traction with their work. Drawing on stories and experiences of real researchers, and his own experience across medical research, venture capital, philanthropy and innovation ecosystems, Dougal introduces readers to another system - one that's shaped not only by discovery, but also by translation, collaboration and real-world impact.

Through powerful stories of researchers navigating this changing environment, Breakthrough shows researchers how they can move their work beyond the laboratory and into the world, by connecting their project to real needs and building momentum beyond traditional academic and institutional structures. It's a guide to working differently so your work can create finally create the impact you're striving for.

Inside Breakthrough you'll discover:

• Why the research system you were trained for no longer matches the world you work in
• How to recognise the signals of systemic change and position yourself ahead of them
• Practical frameworks to design pathways to collaboration, uptake and impact
• How to move from surviving within outdated structures to shaping the future research landscape

No matter where you are in your career as a researcher, Breakthrough gives the pathway and the permission to chart your own course towards real traction and impact.

The future of research is already here. Now it's time to learn how to thrive in it.