The Diversity Hub
Welcome to the technē Diversity Hub. Resources, forums and application advice for postgraduate research applicants, students, mentors and supervisors.
About the Diversity Hub
The Diversity Hub is supported by technē, a consortium of nine universities and external partner institutions, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). technē provides PhD funding and training to students working in Arts and Humanities disciplines, with a particular emphasis on the ‘craft of research’. You can find out more about applying for technē funding here and about the technē student community here.
Why is there a need for the Hub? Research has demonstrated that postgraduate research programmes have many inclusion issues. For our launch, the Hub will focus on supporting students of colour, a group under-represented in postgraduate research programmes, especially in Arts and Humanities disciplines. They are also less successful in being awarded doctoral funding (securing just over 1% of UKRI research council funding according to this ‘Leading Routes’ report. The inequalities and biases within higher education, which disadvantage Black students, continue into postgraduate research and in turn, have contributed to the underrepresentation of researchers of colour in academic posts. Again, the Arts and Humanities are some of the least diverse in the sector: this ‘Equality in Higher Education’ report found that under 4% of staff in Classics identified as being from an ethnic minority. As we develop the activities of the Hub in future years we will support other under-represented groups. If you have any questions please do contact us.
And so, the Hub addresses these barriers and inequalities by providing resources to support students of colour who are either considering undertaking postgraduate research or who have already begun a PhD. In addition, the Hub provides support and training for doctoral supervisors to address barriers created by implicit/unconscious bias and to ensure that supervisors can be confident in supporting students from a diverse range of backgrounds.
The Hub has four main features: the Resource Bank, the Application Surgery, Mentoring Services and Safe-Space Forums. Please explore!
Resources
The resource bank provides information and support for current and prospective PGR students of colour, students researching race and anti-racism allies, addressing specific challenges within and beyond academia. Separate resources for staff are accessible to users registered via the 'For Mentors' portal.
Application Surgery
The Hub Application Surgery provides prospective PhD students with feedback on their technē application. Once registered, you will be able to submit your completed application which will then be matched with an academic from a relevant field to review.
You will then receive one-time feedback. This service is intended to help prospective doctoral applicants navigate the process of applying for a doctoral programme and to provide general feedback on the student’s research proposal.
The Application Surgery is not intended to substitute or circumvent application processes at your individual technē university. You should always seek guidance from your prospective supervisor(s) at your chosen technē university before submitting a formal application for a PhD.
More detailed guidance on making successful applications for doctoral study can be found in the Resources section. By submitting an application through the Surgery, you consent to your data being used according to the Hub privacy policy.
You should expect to receive feedback on your technē application within 3-4 weeks.
[Please note: your reviewer may not be from a your specific field of research, however, they will have expertise in what makes a strong PhD application. Once feedback is received, you will not be able to resubmit for further commentary. Using the Application Surgery provides no guarantee of application success.]
Register
Mentoring
Mentors: Thank you for offering your time, expertise and experience to support technē students in their doctoral journey. Mentees will be matched with the most relevant mentors and you will receive a notification and the student's contact email.
Mentees: Registering through our mentoring portal gives you the opportunity to receive one-to-one tailored support from an academic mentor. When you submit a mentoring request, you will be able to specify why you are seeking mentor support and provide information on your academic interests. Your enquiry will then be matched with a mentor who will contact you with an initial response within two weeks.
Safe-Space Forums
The Hub Forums provide opportunities for current and prospective PGR students and academics to discuss issues and challenges they face within and beyond academia, in a safe and inclusive digital space. There are open forums for all, as well as students-only and mentors-only forums, so that all may gain invaluable peer support.
Open forum content is available without logging in; closed forums will require registration to the Hub in order for you to post or respond to a post. By registering you agree to our privacy policy.
[Please note: the Hub aims to foster a working environment where all are treated with dignity and respect, free of harassment, abuse and bullying. Posts deemed as inappropriate or offensive will be flagged and removed by the Hub.]
Forums
