About Research Goal
A nonprofit for the next generation of researchers
We help students, researchers, and academics develop the methodology, writing, and publication skills that move ideas from question to contribution.
San Francisco · 2025 cohort
Our mission
Democratize research excellence — credible, ethical, accessible.
We believe rigorous research training shouldn't depend on where you studied or who you know. Research Goal exists to close that gap with structured programs, open resources, and mentorship at scale.
We partner with universities, faculty, and learners directly — designing programs that meet real research challenges, from methodology fundamentals to first journal submission and supervisor development.
Milestones
From a single cohort to a global community
The story so far — and where we're headed.
- 2021Founding
Founded in San Francisco
Research Goal launches as a US-based nonprofit, pairing 12 mentors with 24 graduate students across five countries.
- 2022
Open-resource library
300+ methodology, writing, and publishing resources released free under a Creative Commons license.
- 2023
First faculty fellowship
Faculty-development cohort launches with three partner universities. Workshops reach 20+ countries.
- 2024Milestone
501(c)(3) recognition
Receives full 501(c)(3) classification, opening the door to scholarships and major grants for cohort tuition.
- 2025
Global mentor network
240+ active mentors across 40+ countries. The Insights journal launches; 50,000+ research notes published.
- 2026Today
5,000 learners reached
Crosses 5,000 active learners and 120+ workshops delivered. The community keeps growing — and you can be part of it.
Students reached
Countries
Workshops delivered
Open resources
Values
The principles that shape every program
A short list, but every one is enforceable. If a program doesn't reflect these, we redesign it.
Approach
How we deliver research education that sticks
Meet learners where they are
Whether it's a first thesis or a fifth manuscript, every learner gets a path that fits their stage.
Cohort + 1:1 mentorship
Live workshops with peer cohorts, paired with individual mentorship from active researchers.
Open, evergreen resources
A growing library of guides, templates, and toolkits — free and continuously updated.
Faculty partnerships
We work with institutions and faculty to embed research literacy into curricula and supervision.
Partners
Trusted by universities, journals, and institutions worldwide
A research moment
Cohort week. Methodology rigor in plain sight.
Every quarter, our cohorts gather for a week of intensive mentorship — study design critiques, manuscript clinics, and long evenings spent untangling tricky data. The community is the work.
Photo: Spring 2026 methodology cohort, San Francisco.
