I would like to draw your attention to a two-day workshop we are organising on the theme of Widening Participation in Postgraduate Research. We are extremely grateful to the RSC, IoP and Durham University for the funding we have received that means we are able to offer the workshop at no cost to attend, including having funding that can be applied for to cover travel and accommodation. We hope you may be interested in joining us as a presenter or just for interest, it promises to be a really interesting two days.
Widening Participation in Postgraduate Research Workshop
Dates: Tuesday 31st March and Wednesday 1st April 2026
Location: Durham University
Cost: Free to attend (plus funding can be applied for to support travel and accommodation costs)
It is well established that many groups are under-represented at Postgraduate Research (PGR) level, representing a challenge to the Higher Education (HE) sector to provide equitable access to PGR study opportunities and the careers they enable. This two-day workshop will examine these challenges from the perspective of the Physical Sciences, and seeks to achieve two purposes – first to bring together PGR stakeholders and share best practice and insights that may break down barriers to equitable PGR access, and second to strengthen the network of practitioners to shape future directions in the UK HE sector.
The themes of the workshop will include: Competency based admissions; Impact of undergraduate experiences on PGR choices; and the Influence of socio-economic background and ethnicity on PGR choices and experiences. Each of the two days has a different focus: Tuesday 31st March will focus on talks, networking and panel discussions related to widening participation in postgraduate research; whilst Wednesday 1st April will focus on training to implement change – including Theory of Change and Neuroinclusive Supervision. Participants are welcome to join us for just a single day, or both days.
We hope the workshop will be of particular interest to anyone involved with the design, development and implementation of PGR programmes, recruitment and support for PGR students. All are welcome, including PGR students.
To find out more and to register for the workshop and apply for funding to attend, visit the workshop website at https://eise.webspace.durham.ac.uk/widening-participation-in-postgraduate-research-workshop/
If you have any questions about the workshop, please contact the workshop co-chairs Chris Groves and Helen Cramman at eise@durham.ac.uk