SEDarc is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), ensuring that EDI principles, commitments, and ambitions are embedded in all that we do. We aim to provide an academic environment in which everyone feels empowered, respected, and is afforded equal opportunities to thrive and succeed.
We actively work against any forms of discrimination in relation to the Equality Act 2010 protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation, alongside characteristics that are not covered by the Act. This is in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty which ensures public bodies are taking legal responsibility in addressing equality.
As part of our commitment to EDI and increasing participation of under-represented communities in doctoral research, SEDarc is taking positive action under the Equality Act 2010 to ringfence three Widening Participation studentships for applicants. You can read more about these studentships here.
Each of our partner institutions is committed to EDI and has a comprehensive strategy in place. You can read more about our partner institutions’ EDI policies below:
- Royal Holloway, University of London
- University of Kent
- University of Sussex
- University of Reading
- Kingston University
- University of Surrey
We work closely with the ESRC on our EDI strategy. You can read ESRC’s EDI Policy here. Our strategy covers every stage of the student journey (including recruitment, selection, supervision, training, and placements), and it also ensures effective monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of our actions and responsibilities. Outlined below are some of the ways in which we embed the EDI principles.
Application Process
We encourage applications from students from a range of different backgrounds and life experiences and are training and experienced interview panels will look at “potential” of candidates and full range of abilities.
Ring-Fenced Studentships
SEDarc will ring-fence up to 3 studentships for home students who meet the following:
- Be assessed as being eligible to pay fees at the home fee rate;
- Identify as being of one of the following ethnic groups:
- Black or Black British – Caribbean
- Black or Black British - African
- Other Black background
- Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi
- Asian or Asian British – Pakistani
- Asian or Asian British - Indian
- Meet all other eligibility criteria
- Application forms allow students to anonymously disclose EDI and socioeconomic information. This information ensures that our policies and procedures are effective in promoting equality of opportunity when studentships are awarded. They are also used to evaluate the effective operation of our Equal Opportunities Policy.