Equality, diversity and inclusion
Our ambitions to support and sustain a thriving research culture and community are rooted in a commitment to embed equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) principles within the way we approach, evaluate and develop supervision enhancement strategies.
As a consortium we strive to practise what we preach, conducting each stage of the project in accordance with values we aim to instil in the next generation of supervisors: creativity, collegiality, collaboration, communication and compassion.​
​
Our overarching goal is to support the review, development, and testing of interventions that contribute to a positive and sustained cultural shift in how supervision practice is understood, supported, managed, and recognised across the sector.
By aligning and embedding our values and EDI principles in our project outputs, we aim to foster a more inclusive and supportive environment for everyone involved in doctoral education.
​​Our approach
Embracing diversity in doctoral provision
We recognise and celebrate the rich diversity within the UK doctoral landscape, represented by various higher education institutions (HEIs), doctoral training partnerships (DTPs) and Independent Research Organisations (IROs), each with its own unique values, policies, and approaches to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for supervisors. It is this diversity that enriches our sector and drives innovation, and that we will embrace.
Representing diversity across institutions
We are committed to representing and engaging the full spectrum of UK institutions in terms of size, culture and disciplines to pilot and shape interventions - this a core principle for success within RSVP. By doing so, we will ensure that our interventions are inclusive and relevant to the entire doctoral community.
Focus on EDI within supervisory relationships
Our project places a strong emphasis on EDI within supervisory relationships, aiming to foster greater understanding, openness and consideration among supervisors and doctoral candidates. We are looking to find ways to support supervisors from marginalised backgrounds and ways to give supervisors the tools to effectively and appropriately support supervisees from diverse backgrounds. We will raise awareness of crucial wellbeing factors and ways to foster a supportive environment by developing workshops that explore neurodiversity, mental health and mentoring.
Ensuring integrity through Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs)
To safeguard the integrity of our project design and interventions, EIAs will be undertaken as part of each work package. This will ensure that our interventions, communication strategies and dissemination of outcomes align with our collective commitment to EDI. In addition, our focus groups, the UK Research Supervision Survey (UKRSS) and related research activity will all go through formal ethical approval processes.
Embedding interventions for long-term impact
To ensure the sustainability of our efforts beyond the project's lifetime, RSVP will collaborate with researcher developers and professional support staff to develop ‘train the trainer’ activities and to embed interventions into existing organisational provisions. By doing so, we will ensure that the positive changes brought about by our project endure and continue to benefit the sector.
Developing accessible resources
We are dedicated to developing sustainable, freely available resources and CPD interventions in order to offer consistency in supervision. Our world-leading suite of professional development resources will continue to enhance UK research supervision by making effective supervision equitable and accessible to all and making inclusive supervisory best practice visible.