Conference: Call for Proposals

If you are interested in becoming an independent researcher, you quickly realise that you are learning every day, not just agile methods but also how to plan your yearly budget, communicate your vision and stay sane.

To help bridge this gap, Kohlrabi, in collaboration with our colleagues at social research consultancy Shortwork, is hosting a refreshing, small-scale unconference shaped by our members – independent researchers, freelancers, and social research SMEs who want to connect, recharge, and share practical know-how.

• Date: 16 June 2026 (10AM - 4 PM)

• Location: Stockport (Manchester, UK)

  
  

This one-day event will bring together practitioners who navigate the realities of independent research – contracting, collaboration, methods, wellbeing, impact, and everything in between.

Call for Proposals

We are seeking 1-hour practical, skills-based sessions on topics that strengthen small research businesses. This could include marketing, networking and partnership-building, project management, proposal writing, business strategy, budgeting or long-term financial planning. Sessions can be led by practitioners or researchers who want to share what they have learned through real experience.

We welcome creative, interactive formats from any field, as long as they involve audience participation and support learning.

Submit your proposals HERE.

Stay in the Loop

If you would like to receive the programme and booking information once released, you can register your interest HERE. We look forward to bringing together the voices shaping the future of independent research.

If you have any questions, please contact: research@kohlrabi.uk.