About the Masterclasses
START is excited to invite you to the START/AgFood Connect 2026 Spring Masterclass Series – an opportunity to boost your skills in mission-driven research, expand your network, and co-create the future of innovation in the green transition of AgriFood Systems.
These masterclasses are more than just training sessions – they’re a space for interdisciplinary collaboration, inspiration, and transformation. You’ll engage directly with other START members from across disciplines and universities, working together to explore new methodologies and train how to tackle real-world challenges.
In 2026, START will host two rounds of masterclasses - one in Eastern Denmark (KU, DTU, CBS) in the spring and one in Western Denmark (AAU, AU, SDU) in the fall in an effort to reduce traveling time for each masterclass. That being said, researchers from the Western parts if Denmark are more than welcome at the Eastern masterclasses and vice versa.
Dates, locations and registration for the masterclasses in the fall will be published later in 2026.
Why Join?
- Connect & Collaborate: Meet passionate peers and potential project partners from across the START network.
- Learn & Lead: Gain practical tools in project development, impact assessment, and funding strategy.
- Shape the Future: Your feedback will help refine START’s innovation approach and future programming.
Who should join?
Target audience: The course is designed to target postdoctoral researchers and early- to mid-career faculty (up to associate professor level) who want to strengthen their skills in interdisciplinary project development, impact assessment, and fundraising. It is designed for researchers with some experience who are preparing to establish themselves through external funding, or who are recently tenured and open to exploring new approaches and learning new methods. While the course is open to anyone interested in expanding their toolbox, participants should be aware that the level may be either too advanced or too introductory depending on their prior experience.
What's inside?
Masterclass 1: Triple-I methodologies 🎓
Date: 13th of April 2026 - 09:30-16:00
Location: CBS, Howitzvej 60, 2000 Frederiksberg, Room 6.01
The Triple-I framework is the heart of START, encompassing START’s commitment towards integrative, inclusive and interdisciplinary research that generate a societal impact.
Yet how is this commitment operationalized?
This masterclass will provide training in models and techniques to implement each of the three I’s in future project development.
You will be given training in:
- Interdisciplinary project exploration🔬
- Logic models for cohesive project development🧠
- Models for stakeholder- and collaborator mapping and analysis🗺️
- Meaningful multistakeholder engagement🤝
Masterclass 2: Impact assessment frameworks 🎯
Date: 20th of April 2026 - 09:30-16:00
Location: DTU, Lyngby Campus, Anker Engelunds Vej 1, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Building 101A, Room LY101-R3.082
START’s objective of accelerating the green transformation of agrifood systems necessitates the involvement of all disciplines to spur societal transformation 🌱 Yet understandings, even cultures, of what constitutes impact and how to quantify it differ across disciplines. This masterclass will provide tools and understanding to synthesize a variety of impact frameworks into a common language that can bridge the divide between disciplines and synthesize different understandings of impact into cohesive frameworks aimed at maximizing societal change.
You will be given training in:
- Introduction to different sustainability impact assessment frameworks and their understanding of impact📚
- Requirement of impact assessments from funding providers in connection with proposals📝
- Presentation of different tools for the assessment of sustainability impact🛠️
- Presentation of examples from proposals and practical hands-on testing of a case🧪
Masterclass 3: Funding (landscape) 💼
Date: 27th of April 2026 - 09:30-16:00
Location: KU, SCIENCE, Bülowsvej 17, Konsistoriesal
The funding landscape is rapidly evolving, placing an increasing emphasis on societal impact.
Yet, each donor quantifies this differently, creating challenges around writing the good application amidst uncertain donor demands.
This masterclass will train you in:
- Translating Triple-I methodologies and novel impact frameworks into applications🧩
- Understanding the call text – what does the donor want?🔍
- Reading between the lines of call texts – how can we operationalize contemporary funding buzzwords in a way that strengthens the application rather than box-ticking?🧠
- Writing the good application – how to hit the right tone, scope, ambitions, and how to distribute your writing efficiently within spatial constraints?✍️
Check out other START activities
