GW4 Alliance launches new report on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Postgraduate Research
A new report on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in postgraduate research has been released by the GW4 Alliance, initiating a new programme of work to improve EDI at doctoral level.
The report sets out the findings and recommendations of the ‘Thinking Beyond Admissions Symposium’, which was co-delivered by GW4 and the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital Health and Care in December 2022, and attended by a cross-section of professional service and academic colleagues, alongside a group of postgraduate researchers.
The resulting report highlights the importance of carving out a distinct focus on EDI considerations for postgraduate level researchers - a liminal group who are often overlooked, or caught between, activities designed to support undergraduates and staff in these areas.
Postgraduate researchers are likely to be distinct from undergraduate students and university staff in terms of their age, domicile and patterns of study, and there are also differences when it comes to the amount of time spent working in isolation as well as the absence of regulation for postgraduate research degrees.
The report suggests that, for underrepresented and marginalised groups in higher education, these considerations can create a barrier for entry into a postgraduate research degree or a perception of a lack of support once their work begins.
Improving EDI at a postgraduate researcher level would have a number of benefits, such as improving staff diversity in senior roles and providing a broader range of experiences, backgrounds and perspectives from which knowledge can be cultivated.
The report identifies the need for institutions and funders to take a holistic approach to improving equity, diversity and inclusion at doctoral research level, and recommends a whole-system evaluation, broken down into six key themes:
- External drivers
- Recruitment
- Research degree policy
- Research experience and environment
- Research training and impact
- System and tools
Professor Ian Craddock, Director of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital Health and Care and Research Director for the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Bristol, said: “It is vital that we ensure that we have robust systems in place to holistically address EDI concerns at doctoral level, and cultivate a vibrant, inclusive and diverse research landscape across the GW4 Alliance. We are committed to continuing conversations with underrepresented and marginalised groups, as well as uncovering and amplifying existing pockets of best practice, and turning this into meaningful action to improve EDI at doctoral level.”
Dr Joanna Jenkinson MBE, GW4 Alliance Director, said: “We feel passionately about working together, across the GW4 Alliance, to ensure that resource is directed towards improving equity, diversity and inclusion for postgraduate researchers, who should be recognised as a distinct community with specific EDI considerations. GW4 institutions are home to 14 shared doctoral training programmes, which have secured £189m from research funders, and are therefore well placed to drive, support and enact change.”
You can read the full report on our website.
Creating a diverse and inclusive GW4 Alliance
Founded in 2013, GW4 is an alliance of four of the most research-intensive and innovative universities in the UK: Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter. This new report will form the basis of a dedicated programme of work, which will be undertaken by GW4, alongside key partners, to examine ways to improve equity, diversity and inclusion in postgraduate research across the Alliance.
Activities currently in progress include GW4 Connect, a suite of targeted inclusive support interventions aiming to create peer-to-peer networks for underrepresented and marginalised postgraduate researchers.
Other upcoming activities will include:
- Establishing a dedicated Community of Practice for Postgraduate Research
- Workshops on inclusive recruitment and responsible supervision
We’ll be sharing more details over the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you have any questions on the report, or our upcoming work, please contact: info@gw4.ac.uk
“We feel passionately about working together, across the GW4 Alliance, to ensure that resource is directed towards improving equity, diversity and inclusion for postgraduate researchers, who should be recognised as a distinct community with specific EDI considerations.
GW4 institutions are home to 14 shared doctoral training programmes, which have secured £189m from research funders, and are therefore well placed to drive, support and enact change.”
