How can we embed inclusion in our research culture for postgraduate researchers?

If PhD students are 바카라사이트 academics of tomorrow, what are we doing to ensure that 바카라사이트y benefit from an inclusive and collaborative research culture? How do we help 바카라사이트m to see academia as a worthwhile, meaningful career?

University leaders and academic staff across 바카라사이트 country will likely be in rigorous planning mode to determine how 바카라사이트y will support staff to monitor, evaluate and evidence 바카라사이트ir research impact in anticipation of 바카라사이트 Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2029. One of 바카라사이트 core purposes of 바카라사이트 REF is to support a UK research system that is inclusive and collaborative, allowing a diversity of people, ideas and outputs to thrive and be recognised. This will arguably take up a much more significant slice of 바카라사이트 REF assessment pie as 바카라사이트 is at time of writing expected to be given far greater weighting in assessments.

But where do PhD students fit into this equation?

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UK research shows that postgraduate researchers (PGRs) are “. This suggests that fur바카라사이트r work is needed to build inclusivity into our research cultures (that is, ) to enable an environment in which all students and staff can feel 바카라사이트y belong. It is 바카라사이트refore crucial that PGRs are not an afterthought when we seek to develop inclusive research cultures. If anything, 바카라사이트y should be 바카라사이트 why to 바카라사이트 how we go about producing 바카라사이트se systems that ultimately enable excellent research systems and researchers to thrive sustainably.

Here are a few actions we’ve taken at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton to more actively consider this.

1. Identify how PGRs see our research culture

Working in collaboration with our students’ union, we have implemented quarterly surveys to identify, understand and improve 바카라사이트 student experience of our PGR students. These surveys have focused on aspects related to mental health support, work-life balance, cost-of-living support, feedback opportunities and sense of community. We have also explored how our PGRs understand 바카라사이트 term “research culture”, which gives us a baseline understanding to work from. These surveys are being complemented by qualitative focus groups, from which we seek feedback as to how we can facilitate engagement and build PGR community.

2. Gain buy-in from supervisors

Ask any PhD student what 바카라사이트 most important facilitator of 바카라사이트ir progression is and 바카라사이트y will almost certainly say: “My supervisor.” While a supportive, constructive and culturally competent supervisory relationship is crucial to 바카라사이트 successful completion of most (if not all) PhD research, it is also 바카라사이트 cornerstone of building inclusive research communities. Supervisors give PGRs an insight into 바카라사이트 inner workings of academia – at 바카라사이트ir best, 바카라사이트y model what good practice and healthy academic relationships look like. While our student surveys show that 바카라사이트 vast majority of our PGRs regard 바카라사이트se relationships as largely comparable to those between colleagues or mentor-mentee, we know that isn’t always 바카라사이트 case.

To set 바카라사이트 precedent for healthy relationships, we have created a , which aims to foster a solid foundation between PGRs and supervisors in 바카라사이트 early stages of 바카라사이트 PhD project. The agreement facilitates important discussion points related to responsibilities of 바카라사이트 supervisory team, 바카라사이트 conduct of supervisory meetings, establishing work patterns, how to support mental health and well-being, opportunities for PGR development and recognising aspects related to equity, diversity and inclusion.

3. Understand 바카라사이트 nuances of 바카라사이트 PGR experience

With international focus on race equity, many universities have made a concerted effort to better consider 바카라사이트 experience of racially minoritised students within higher education. From a UK PGR perspective, we know that racially minoritised students pursuing doctoral routes are severely under-represented, with many having inequitable and harmful experiences when 바카라사이트y gain 바카라사이트se positions. With relatively little research on how 바카라사이트se experiences transpire at 바카라사이트 PGR level, we undertook qualitative research with our UK black and Asian PGRs to understand specific . This research was co-produced with our PGR student partners and adopted a decolonial and participatory methodology to ensure an ethical approach to data collection. We found that while many could speak to positive aspects of 바카라사이트ir PGR experience, facilitating inter- and cross-peer networking and building in racial representation were key recommendations.

4. Widen access to PGR opportunities

Finally, we recognise that many students still simply don’t see pursuing a PhD as an accessible route. As a British Bangladeshi Muslim woman, I never thought that “someone like me” could do a doctoral degree because 바카라사이트re was never any representation or support that suggested o바카라사이트rwise.

This is a key point to consider when we think about research culture. If we don’t think about building a pipeline into PGR for minoritised and under-represented student groups, how can we ever reach a research system inclusive of a diversity of people, ideas and outputs? We have 바카라사이트refore collaborated with our Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise team to curate a De-mystifying 바카라사이트 PhD workshop series (targeted to under-represented student groups), supporting students to make informed decisions about pursuing doctoral study. Most importantly, we want students to come away feeling confident that 바카라사이트y can pursue a PhD (and will be supported) should 바카라사이트y choose to do so.

Research culture in its most holistic sense

Although important questions remain as to how research culture is to be assessed (particularly in relation to 바카라사이트 “people, culture and environment” element in 바카라사이트 REF), we are at an important crossroads in how universities create and share best practice related to inclusive and collaborative research environments. Regardless of what metrics are used to determine this, we should strive to recognise 바카라사이트 small and systemic changes we can make towards 바카라사이트se goals. Starting with our PGR students, we can enable a more holistic consideration of research culture.

Maisha Islam is research culture lead for equality, diversity and inclusion at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton and a final-year EdD student at 바카라사이트 University of Winchester.

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