Surrey Black Scholars Initiative: Inclusive and Decolonised Researcher Development Programme

Inclusive and decolonised researcher development programme aimed to address epistemic bias and exclusion embedded within doctoral training at Surrey. This was executed as a systematic review involving paid contributions from Black postgraduate researchers (PGRs) to evaluate existing provisions.  

This initiative undertook a systematic review and redesign of doctoral researcher development provision to ensure cultural equivalence and inclusivity. Delivery involved paid contributions from Black PGRs and early career researchers to evaluate existing provisions, alongside specialist leadership in inclusive curriculum design. The initiative resulted in staff contributing to a sector-facing “playbook” for inclusive researcher development. The target group included all PGRs at the University of Surrey, with particular benefits for Black and other racially minoritised doctoral researchers.  

Category: Academic Intervention

What was this initiative? 

A systematic redesign of researcher development to embed inclusivity and address epistemic bias, co-developed with Black postgraduate researchers and early career researchers.

Impact for Scholars 

Improved relevance, representation, and inclusivity of doctoral training across the institution. 

Why it matters 

Shapes long-term institutional change in research culture.

✦ Key Contribution 

Embedded inclusive practice into core doctoral training systems, including revised writing workshops and the introduction of positionality statements explicitly acknowledging the cultural and historical specificity of dominant academic norms.