GW4 launches second peer support programme for postgraduate researchers from the global majority

The second peer support programme for Global Majority postgraduate researchers has launched, today, as part of the GW4 Connect initiative, a suite of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) activities developed by the GW4 Alliance. 

Building from the pilot programme in 2023, the programme offers 25 participants an opportunity to work with their peers and expert coaches to find a clear path to success in their doctorate and beyond. 

The scheme’s intention is to create a safe space for honest, free conversations outside institutional structures. Throughout the course of the programme, Global Majority postgraduate researchers will be supported to find and trust their own process for working through their PhD, while naming and acknowledging the racism, discrimination and other structural barriers inside and outside of the research environment which might be impacting on their ability to do so.  

The goal is to create an environment where participants can build new partnerships and share or co-create strategies to navigate their research career in a way that feels authentic and fulfilling.   

The 10-month programme, which will start in September 2025 and run until June 2026, has been co-designed and facilitated by Kemi Oladapo and Kate Tapper. Kemi is an ILM certified coach and facilitator with experience coaching diverse people to fulfil their potential in universities and in healthcare. Kate is the Founder of Your Research Matters, an EMCC Global Senior Coaching Practitioner and facilitator with longstanding experience in the Higher Education sector. 

Alongside a unique opportunity for peer-learning, developmental training and network building, a series of masterclass sessions will explore key research skills and concepts, each followed by an ‘in practice’ session to examine how the application of these skills intersects with lived experience. 

GW4 Talent and Skills Manager, Sabrina Fairchild, said: “This programme exists in direct response to the structural racism, discrimination and inequities that some Global Majority postgraduate researchers continue to face both in and outside of higher education.

"By creating space outside institutional structures, GW4 Connect offers participants the opportunity to build community, access expert coaching, and share strategies for navigating research in a way that centres their lived experience. Our aim is to challenge the isolation often felt in academic spaces, and to foster a more supportive, equitable research environment—one that recognises and values the strength, insight and innovation Global Majority researchers bring to academia.” 

How to apply 

The deadline for applications is 12pm on Wednesday, 9 July 2025, which can be completed here. Applications will be reviewed by a panel of professional service leads from GW4 universities to select participants. 

If you have any questions about either programme, your eligibility, or how to apply, please feel free to contact the Talent and Skills Team (talentandskills@gw4.ac.uk).