The SUPER Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) is committed to working with our PGRs, project supervisors and partners to promote and enhance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI); aligning with the NERC diversity and inclusion action plan 2022-2025 and the values of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI).
SUPER has dedicated DEI representatives on the Graduate School Student Committee, and any matters relating to DEI can be raised to them.
DEI Funding
The SUPER DTP is pleased to announce that it was awarded funding from NERC under its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion CDT/DTP Flexible Funding Award 2022. Read more about the training courses, events, and opportunities we have hosted as a result of this funding award below:
- First Aid for Mental Health course x3 with Mental Health Scotland, which will result in 37 qualified First Aiders.
- Understanding and Supporting DEI in Academia workshops, first one to be held at the MASTS 12th Annual Science Meeting 2022.*
- Understanding autism webinar for supervisors with the National Autistic Society.
- Deaf awareness webinar and SQA Introduction to British Sign Language course with charity Deaf Action.
- How to improve inclusion in academia webinar with Dr Claire Malone.
- Gender diversity in higher education webinar with TransEDU project leads.
- Global Challenges Research Fund exchange visit for current PGRs.
*from this workshop, it was requested that SUPER provide a Glossary of DEI Terms, and information around Protected Characteristics so that our community may be better informed.
NERC hosted a knowledge exchange event in 2022 so you can explore the steps other researchers and groups are taking in this field. You can watch the recording below:
DEI across the SUPER DTP
We are actively working to promote best practice for PhD recruitment across the DTP, but welcome suggestions of how we can continue to improve:
- We use relevant guidance and best practice documentation.
- We explore the potential for scholarships to help widen participation, and look at ways of increasing DEI in our training provision and in our monitoring and reporting.
- We ask that PhD supervisory teams contribute equal importance to the diversity of their makeup (e.g. in their mix of gender, ethnicity and career stage) as they do the breadth of subject expertise.
- We advertise PhD opportunities on findaphd.com, but also target specific groups (such as BAME groups) that can help increase the visibility of our opportunities.
- We have provided webinars and a video to openly communicate advice freely about our opportunities and to provide tips to do well during the interview process. Where possible we encourage current PGRs to speak with potential applicants during the interview process. We have a social media campaign that introduces each cohort of PGRs.
- We ask that all interview panel members have undergone unconscious bias training and use a standardised scoring matrix to assess candidates.
- PGRs can raise issues for consideration by the Grad School Student Committee or the SUPER DTP Directorate via our anonymous feedback form.
- We have provided best practice advice for interview processes to our supervisors, and enhanced interviews by the involvement of independent panel members.
- We ensure transparency around funding and the additional help available to PGRs (e.g. Disabled Student Allowance).
Our host partners are committed to the DEI agenda, as demonstrated by their signing of the Athena SWAN Charter, which is a globally used framework to support and transform gender equality within Higher Education and research. Use the links below to access DEI polices, statements, reports and further information for each of the SUPER DTP partner institutions:
- Edinburgh Napier University
- Heriot Watt University
- University of Aberdeen
- University of the Highlands and Islands
- University of St Andrews
- University of Stirling
- University of Strathclyde
- University of the West of Scotland