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Research Lunch Club: lunch with two peers, every month

5 June 2026 · 2 min read

Illustration of researchers meeting over lunch

The simplest idea we have

Research Lunch Club is exactly what it sounds like. Every month, we match you with two other researchers in your city, and you have lunch. No talks, no name badges, no agenda. Just three peers and a meal.

It is the flagship of People of Research, and the part our members tell us changed the most for them.

Why three people, not three hundred

Big events are good for energy and bad for depth. You meet twenty people, remember two, and follow up with none. A table of three is the opposite. There is nowhere to hide and no small talk to perform, so the conversation gets real fast.

  • You actually remember who you met.
  • You talk about the hard parts of the work, not just the highlights.
  • A trio is small enough to become a habit, and habits are where relationships form.

How the matching works

Every month we group active members in the same city into pairs and trios, and we try not to repeat past matches so you keep meeting new people. You get your match, you pick a spot, you show up. That is the whole loop.

It runs in more than fifteen cities and is growing.

Who it is for

Anyone who does research and wants more of their working life to involve other researchers. PhD students and research directors, industry and academia, in-house and freelance. The only thing our members have in common is that they would rather not do this alone.

What it costs

Less than you would expect, about the price of a coffee per month, which covers the matching and keeps the club running. The lunch itself is on you and your guests, as it should be.

How to join

  1. Sign up to People of Research, free.
  2. Explore Research Lunch Club and pick your city.
  3. Get your first match and book a table.

That is it. Two peers, one lunch, every month.

Explore Research Lunch Club.

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