Fistral Training & Consultancy

We believe that training should change working practices in a measurable, positive way. The training experience should be stimulating and enjoyable as well as instructive. [Fistral’s vision]

"Very useful. Made [the] subject seem much easier than I've previously been taught. Good use of personal experience."

Staff member, AFRC 29th August 2018

Welcome to Fistral

Fistral Training and Consultancy has been delivering training and consultancy since 1991. Over the years the organisation has grown from its original Glasgow base to support researchers, professional, and support staff across Europe in four specialised areas: Project Management, Leading & Influencing, Communication & Collaboration, and Personal Effectiveness.

For almost 20 years Fistral has specifically supported HEIs and research-focused / knowledge-intensive organisations. We focus on hands-on practical tools and techniques that can be applied immediately on return to desk or lab. Our proven experience delivering practical training in many distinct and diverse sectors makes a real difference to staff and researchers working within world-class organisations globally.

Whether onsite or online, partners and course participants appreciate the level of relevance and contextualisation that trainers bring to all-staff and researcher training. This is a direct result of trainers’ own experiences as consultants and active, professionally certified practitioners in private and public sectors and in industry and academic arenas. The Fistral team use their extensive experience to provide professional insights, recommendations, guidance, practical tips and real-life scenarios.

During Covid-19 Fistral is giving free access to videos on Project Management – please share this with your network, family, friends, colleagues, classmates…

Our Approach

Course content is underpinned by best practice and the real experiences of our trainers.

This is why Fistral courses scored an average 4.75 out of 5 overall from 2019-2023
(5=Excellent, June 2019-Feb 2023).

All courses focus on practical hands-on tools and techniques that are directly relevant and applicable to participants’ roles and the workplace.

The Fistral team have a wide range of experience in academic, research, public sector and industry settings which they bring to all our courses. With expertise across disciplines, sectors and throughout Europe, Fistral has a well-evidenced track record of delivering high-quality, relevant, training provision and excellent customer service.

We offer a unique partnership, commitment, understanding and focus on research-, university-, public sector and industry-specific issues.

Fistral courses can be customised and adapted for a range of audiences and levels via onsite, online or blended provision; we adhere to best practice; and the Fistral team regularly support individuals in achieving professional Certification.

"Very well delivered. [The trainer's] engagement with the students and material very impressive and leant sustained interest by students”

NHS Health Scotland 29th August 2018



“A good introduction to Project Management” – PM techniques for research

“A good introduction to Project Management” – PM techniques for research

We were joined online by Post Graduate Researchers at the University of Bristol for parts 1 & 2 of Fistral's...

“Practical and applicable” – PM Essentials (Part 4)

“Practical and applicable” – PM Essentials (Part 4)

A group from The University of Exeter Doctoral College logged on to Part 4 of a webinar series entitled Project...

“Helpful introduction to project management” – Intro to PM rated 4.50

“Helpful introduction to project management” – Intro to PM rated 4.50

A mix of PhDs and research staff from The University of Bath logged on to our Introduction to Project Management...

Advanced Project Management – rated 5 out of 5

Advanced Project Management – rated 5 out of 5

Joining us onsite recently at Strathclyde Doctoral School, a cohort of PGR’s undertook Fistral’s Advanced Project Management training. The group...

“Great tools for work and research” – Time Management rates 4.92

“Great tools for work and research” – Time Management rates 4.92

PhD students from Ulster University Doctoral College logged on to Fistral’s webinar session Taking Charge of Your Time: Avoid Drifting....

“Lots of helpful tips for Research Projects” – Intro to Project Planning

“Lots of helpful tips for Research Projects” – Intro to Project Planning

Staff at The University of Manchester joined us online for Fistral’s Introduction to Project Planning webinar training. The group gave...

Perfect 5/5 from Liverpool Doctoral College – Time Management training

Perfect 5/5 from Liverpool Doctoral College – Time Management training

Fistral welcomed students from the University of Liverpool Doctoral College online for a training session Taking Charge of Your Time:...

ECRs say PM for Researcher training is “Very helpful for developing realistic plans”

ECRs say PM for Researcher training is “Very helpful for developing realistic plans”

Researchers from The University of Exeter Doctoral College joined us for Part 3 of a webinar series Project Management Essentials...

“Useful, relatable and applicable” – Project Management in the Real World rates 4.93

“Useful, relatable and applicable” – Project Management in the Real World rates 4.93

Fistral was welcomed onsite at Loughborough University for a training session Project Management in the Real World (PMRW). The group...

4.83 for PM Essentials for Researchers – staff say “I wish I had taken the course 5 years ago!”

4.83 for PM Essentials for Researchers – staff say “I wish I had taken the course 5 years ago!”

Researcher staff from The University of Exeter once more joined us for Part 2 of a webinar series entitled Project...

“Applicable to my current work” – PM Essentials for Researchers (Part 1)

“Applicable to my current work” – PM Essentials for Researchers (Part 1)

Researcher staff from The University of Exeter Doctoral College joined us online for Part 1 of a webinar series entitled...

Intro to Project Planning (Part 3): Rated 4.8 “Real-life examples make it memorable”

Intro to Project Planning (Part 3): Rated 4.8 “Real-life examples make it memorable”

Staff at the University of Dundee logged on to Part 3 of Fistral’s Introduction to Project Planning course, entitled Creating...

Resilience skills are “Important to successfully navigate the PhD journey” – 5 out of 5 rating

Resilience skills are “Important to successfully navigate the PhD journey” – 5 out of 5 rating

PhD students from Ulster University Doctoral College gave Fistral’s webinar session Build Your Resilience and Take your PhD in your...

“Tailor-made for PhD” – Time Management is “A truly enlightening experience”

“Tailor-made for PhD” – Time Management is “A truly enlightening experience”

Joining us online for a webinar session entitled Keeping on Top of Your PhD: Personal Time Management Strategies were a...

Risk training is “Necessary in our PhD” – Doctoral College student

Risk training is “Necessary in our PhD” – Doctoral College student

The third of four training courses in our CAPM professional certification series, Project Risk Management, was delivered onsite to a...

5 out of 5 for CAPM Preparation

5 out of 5 for CAPM Preparation

Onsite once more at The University of Strathclyde, we delivered Fistral’s CAPM Preparation training course to a group of PhD...

“Useful real-world application” – 4.92 for Risk Management

“Useful real-world application” – 4.92 for Risk Management

We welcomed a cohort of PhD students and research staff at all levels from The University of Bath online for...

4.88 for PMRW – “Very useful, especially in the context of research”

4.88 for PMRW – “Very useful, especially in the context of research”

Onsite at The University of Strathclyde Teaching and Learning Building, we delivered Fistral’s Project Management in the Real World training...

4.77, “Insightful and relevant to PhD” – Supervisory Relationship training

4.77, “Insightful and relevant to PhD” – Supervisory Relationship training

PhD students at the Doctoral College in the University of Strathclyde joined us online for a webinar entitled Creating a...

“Informative and well-organised” – Intro to PM for research staff and students

“Informative and well-organised” – Intro to PM for research staff and students

A group of research staff and PhDs from The University of Bath joined us online for a training session Introduction...

“Really impactful” – Professional Communication Skills for PhDs

“Really impactful” – Professional Communication Skills for PhDs

We welcomed a cohort of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year PhD students from the University of Strathclyde Doctoral College to...

“Best course ever” – 5 out of 5 for Leadership and Teambuilding training

“Best course ever” – 5 out of 5 for Leadership and Teambuilding training

Onsite at The University of Strathclyde, we delivered a training course called Leadership and Teambuilding Techniques. The attendees gave a...

“Really worthwhile – lots of practical tools” – PM Tools for Managing Your Research Project post-award

“Really worthwhile – lots of practical tools” – PM Tools for Managing Your Research Project post-award

Joining us onsite for a new training session entitled Project Management Tools for Managing Your Research Project was a group...

“Engaging and useful” – Intro to Project Planning for Doctoral College students

“Engaging and useful” – Intro to Project Planning for Doctoral College students

Postgraduate Researchers from The University of Manchester joined us online for Fistral’s Introduction to Project Planning webinar session. The Doctoral...

“Extremely useful for career” – Advanced PM training

“Extremely useful for career” – Advanced PM training

Onsite for this session, we welcomed a group of PhD students from the University of Strathclyde, to a training course...

“Perfect for both students and professionals” – Taking Charge of Your Time: Avoid Drifting’ rates 5 out of 5

“Perfect for both students and professionals” – Taking Charge of Your Time: Avoid Drifting’ rates 5 out of 5

We welcomed a group of PhD students from the University of Strathclyde Doctoral College online to a webinar entitled Taking...

CAPM Exam Prep webinar – “The tools were really helpful”

CAPM Exam Prep webinar – “The tools were really helpful”

Staff at the University of Dundee logged on to a Fistral CAPM Prep webinar session. This training prepares attendees to...

“Transferrable skills for real-life” – Conflict in Teams webinar rated 4.5

“Transferrable skills for real-life” – Conflict in Teams webinar rated 4.5

Logging on to Fistral’s webinar session Managing Conflict in Teams were staff from The University of Dundee, who rated the...

“Transferrable tools and real-life scenarios” – Making Decisions in Stressful Circumstances

“Transferrable tools and real-life scenarios” – Making Decisions in Stressful Circumstances

Staff at The University of Dundee logged on to a Fistral webinar session entitled Making Decisions in Stressful Circumstances. The...

“The tools were really helpful” – Introduction to Project Planning for Researchers (Part 4)

“The tools were really helpful” – Introduction to Project Planning for Researchers (Part 4)

A group of staff from The University of Dundee logged on to Part 4 of Fistral's Introduction to Project Planning...

4.92 for Risk Management – PhDs say “in-depth real-life experiences that help convey the message”

4.92 for Risk Management – PhDs say “in-depth real-life experiences that help convey the message”

Fistral hosted an onsite training course for Postgraduate Researchers at the University of Strathclyde entitled Risk Management in the Real...

“Great tools to plan PhD” – Part 3 rates 5 out of  5

“Great tools to plan PhD” – Part 3 rates 5 out of 5

PhD students at the University of Ulster Doctoral College joined us once more for part three of our four-part Introduction...

Part 2 of Project Planning “Can be applied making the scope of the PhD more digestible”- Doctoral College

Part 2 of Project Planning “Can be applied making the scope of the PhD more digestible”- Doctoral College

A group of PhD students at the University of Ulster joined us once more for part two of our four-part...

“Very applicable to a PhD” – Intro to Project Planning Part 1

“Very applicable to a PhD” – Intro to Project Planning Part 1

We welcomed PhD students at the University of Ulster to part one of our four-part Introduction to Project Planning webinar...

Research staff say PM Techniques for Planning Your Research is “A useful mix of practical skills”

Research staff say PM Techniques for Planning Your Research is “A useful mix of practical skills”

Academic staff at the University of Bristol joined us online for Parts 1 & 2 of a webinar series entitled...

Time Management rates 4.89 – “Engaging and interactive”

Time Management rates 4.89 – “Engaging and interactive”

We welcomed a group of PhD students from the University of Strathclyde to an onsite training course Keeping on Top...

“Tools to create a PhD plan” – Intro to Project Planning 4.91

“Tools to create a PhD plan” – Intro to Project Planning 4.91

PhD students at the University of Strathclyde logged on to Fistral’s Introduction to Project Planning webinar session. The group gave...

“Incredibly helpful” – 4.81 Intro to Project Planning

“Incredibly helpful” – 4.81 Intro to Project Planning

PhD students at the University of Manchester logged on to a Fistral webinar session Introduction to Project Planning. The group...

“A lot of very useful tips on how to plan a project and even how to deal with supervisors” – Project Management in the Real World

“A lot of very useful tips on how to plan a project and even how to deal with supervisors” – Project Management in the Real World

Fistral delivered an onsite training course at the University of Strathclyde, entitled Project Management in the Real World. This is...

“Great techniques to take away” – 4.9 out of 5 from Doctoral College students

“Great techniques to take away” – 4.9 out of 5 from Doctoral College students

Fistral ran an onsite training session for Doctoral Colege students at the University of Manchester entitled Introduction to Project Management....

“I told [colleagues] that it was the most helpful session the university has run and that it will completely change the way they plan and think about their PhD projects!” – UoManchester

“I told [colleagues] that it was the most helpful session the university has run and that it will completely change the way they plan and think about their PhD projects!” – UoManchester

We met a great group of PhD students onsite at the University of Manchester and delivered a training session, Introduction...

4.92 from research staff and PhDs – Introduction to Project Management

4.92 from research staff and PhDs – Introduction to Project Management

Fistral welcomed a group from the University of Bath to a webinar training session entitled Introduction to Project Management. The...

100% of Space sector staff recommend Time Management Strategies and rate it 4.75 out of 5

100% of Space sector staff recommend Time Management Strategies and rate it 4.75 out of 5

A group of staff from LSE Space GmbH and Aurora Technology B.V. logged on to Fistral’s online training course Time...

“Useful introductory session that makes starting a project seem a bit less daunting.” – Undergraduate

“Useful introductory session that makes starting a project seem a bit less daunting.” – Undergraduate

A group from the University of Strathclyde Internship Programme logged on to Fistral’s Introduction to Project Management webinar session. The...

“Really useful tips that are simple and clear that can be easily applied to any project or work” – Undergrad Internship Programme

“Really useful tips that are simple and clear that can be easily applied to any project or work” – Undergrad Internship Programme

Attendees from the University of Strathclyde Internship Programme joined us online for webinar training providing Project Management Tips for undergraduate...

“Highly recommend and very useful in our job setting” say Uni staff

“Highly recommend and very useful in our job setting” say Uni staff

We enjoyed delivering an onsite training course to a group of staff from across Loughborough University entitled Project Management in...

100% of Space Sector attendees recommend Leadership Skills – 4.75 out of 5

100% of Space Sector attendees recommend Leadership Skills – 4.75 out of 5

Space sector staff joined us online for a webinar entitled Leadership Skills and Techniques for New Team Leaders. The group...

4.75 for ‘PM Techniques for Planning Your Research’

4.75 for ‘PM Techniques for Planning Your Research’

Research staff at the University of Bristol joined us online for a webinar session entitled Project Management Techniques for Planning...

Agile training at ESTEC was “Very useful learning”

Agile training at ESTEC was “Very useful learning”

ESA staff attended a Fistral onsite training course entitled Agile Product Delivery An Introduction using SCRUM and gave a feedback...

Space contextualised training – ESTEC staff give Risk 4.70 out of 5

Space contextualised training – ESTEC staff give Risk 4.70 out of 5

Fistral welcomed a cohort of space sector staff to an onsite training course in Noordwijk called Introduction to Project Risk...