The Employability Boost: Supporting Surrey Black Scholars to Transform Research Into Real-World Impact

Postgraduate education is rapidly changing. Beyond disciplinary expertise, researchers now require broader skills in enterprise, collaboration, project delivery and knowledge exchange. The Surrey Black Scholars Employability Boost was created in response to these changing expectations and to ensure that postgraduate researchers have the support, time and resources to undertake meaningful professional development alongside their doctoral studies.

The Employability Boost offers funded one-, two- or three-month opportunities for Surrey Black Scholars to undertake career-enhancing activities such as grant writing, conference organisation, public engagement, manuscript preparation, entrepreneurial development or stakeholder collaboration. Rather than adding to existing academic pressure, the initiative compensates students for time spent on these activities, allowing them to extend their doctoral work, develop new professional capabilities and pursue opportunities that may otherwise be inaccessible.

Through this scheme, scholars gain valuable experience in areas such as bid preparation, leadership, knowledge exchange, project management and impact generation. The initiative also acknowledges the additional pressures faced by Black postgraduate researchers and aims to reduce barriers that inhibit career progression.

Celebrating Success: Spotlight on Two Employability Boost Awards

We are proud to highlight two outstanding projects delivered through the Employability Boost, which demonstrate how doctoral research can be translated into meaningful, real-world outcomes.

Mali Gunter – Expanding Access to Degree Apprenticeships

Mali’s project builds on his doctoral research into widening participation in degree apprenticeships for underrepresented groups. Over a three-month period, he combined research, outreach and business development to pilot a practical intervention supporting young people from low-income and ethnic minority backgrounds.

Mali:

recruited and supervised an undergraduate intern,

developed partnerships with schools, colleges and employers,

and explored how to scale and commercialise his research through Guapo, an EdTech platform aimed at increasing access to degree apprenticeships.

The Employability Boost enabled Mali to gain first-hand entrepreneurial experience, manage a project team and engage stakeholders. His work demonstrates how academic research can inform enterprise and improve real-world outcomes for young people.

Anietie – Rhythm and Light: Breaking the Silence Around Cancer in Black Communities

Drawing from her research into cancer screening inequalities among Black women, Anietie developed Rhythm and Light—a creative health engagement initiative using storytelling, performance and community participation to disrupt silence and stigma around cancer.

Her project included:

a community showcase at London Waterloo Action Centre,

collaboration with survivors, families and artists,

and the launch of My Story in Rhythm, a collection of testimonies that highlight lived experience of cancer in Black communities.

The project works with communities, policymakers and healthcare professionals to open dialogue, promote screening and address health inequalities. It is an example of research being transformed into public engagement and health impact.

These two initiatives illustrate the power of the Employability Boost to elevate research beyond the academic environment and support Black postgraduate researchers to lead projects that generate enterprise, collaboration and meaningful social change. To learn more, email Dr Jeremiah Olusola (j.olusola@surrey.ac.uk)