Equity in Doctoral Education through Partnership and Innovation (EDEPI) Project – get involved

Are you supervising postgraduates, interested in doing so, or wish to get more involved in widening access and participation?

The Equity in Doctoral Education through Partnership and Innovation (EDEPI) project is funded by UKRI/Office for Students. Our work aims to improve access and participation across three universities – Sheffield Hallam, Nottingham Trent and Liverpool John Moores, working with NHS partners. It will target recruitment, admissions and transition as critical points of systemic inequality in doctoral education. The project hopes to tackle the disparities in experience, progression and outcomes between individuals from racially minoritised groups and their white counterparts.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​How we’re implementing the EDEPI project

We have three work packages that target phases of the postgraduate research student lifecycle:

WP1 – Work-based partnership approach to PGR recruitment with NHS partners

The EDEPI project is partnering with the NHS to provide support, fee waivers and ring-fenced time to enable talented individuals to explore the PhD opportunities available at Nottingham Trent University, Sheffield Hallam University and Liverpool John Moores University. A series of workshops are planned to support students in identifying suitable projects and supervisors and guide them through the application process.

WP2 – Developing a competency-based approach to PGR admissions

This work package addresses widespread concerns about the efficacy and fairness of current admissions practices in doctoral education.

A UKCGE survey and focus groups with key stakeholders (for example, supervisors, postgraduate researchers and professional services staff) will aim draw up to a competency-based framework for doctoral admissions. This framework will form the basis of a pilot project across NTU, LJMU and SHU which will collect data over three years on the efficacy and impact of moving away from undergraduate degree classification, awarding institution and research proposal as the principal ways to measure suitability for doctoral study.

WP3 – Bespoke staff coaching workshops and creation of NHS PGR community

This work package has been created to address concerns that students from racialised groups, at all levels of higher education, can often feel they do not belong. This lack of belonging can lead to disengagement, withdrawal from enrichment activities and a reduction in attainment and progression.

Want to find out more and get involved?

We are now coming to the end of our pilot year and the support of academics and professional services staff will be invaluable to the success of the project as we move forward. If you are interested in finding out about this project or would like more information about how you could get involved in supervising our students, we plan to run some drop-in information sessions:

Thursday 2 March  |  1300 – 1400  |  Collegiate Campus

Tuesday 7 March  |  1200 – 1300  |  City Campus

If you are interested in coming along or would like to request more information on how to get involved with EDEPI, please complete this short form.

For more information contact the EDEPI team.