On Wednesday 13 January, University Alliance hosted a roundtable with our Research & Innovation network and Chief Executive of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser. The discussion centred around creating and enabling a positive research culture within higher education institutions and improving equality, diversity and inclusion across the whole research and innovation pipeline; reflecting the shared priorities of UKRI and University Alliance.
The group heard from Professor Leyser on her priorities at UKRI, with a focus on “promoting, valuing, supporting and incentivising diverse research and innovation from diverse people, from diverse backgrounds”
The roundtable featured contributions from all twelve Alliance member institutions on the work they are doing to further and nurture equality, representation and diversity in research within their organisations.
Examples introduced by our members included BME specific PGR studentships and mentoring and development schemes to support women, BAME and other underrepresented groups; collaboration with local communities and business to support levelling-up and address inequality, and life-long researching opportunities and investment in Early Career Researchers including through UA’s Doctoral Training Alliance.
The roundtable also provided an opportunity to share challenges that Alliance universities faced in efforts to progress this agenda and to identify shared solutions and discuss how universities and UKRI can work together to continue driving change in this area.
