The British Urology Researchers in Surgical Training (BURST) is a UK-based, trainee-led urology research collaborative. Since inception in 2014, BURST has led projects in several urological subspecialties with the aim of improving urological practice for patient benefit. Key innovations we have used include an emphasis on social media communications and developing innovative technology solutions to improve collaboration. In this review article, we summarise our recent studies and highlight important strategies for performing collaborative research. Level of evidence: Not applicable.