A Toolkit for Fair Doctoral Admissions for Ethnically and Racially Minoritised Applicants
The toolkit, created by the Close the Gap Research England-funded project, outlines a step-by-step guide to drive meaningful and sustainable change in doctoral admissions towards greater racial and ethnic equity.
Despite the expansion of postgraduate-level education and decades of widening participation efforts at earlier study levels, ethnically and racially minoritised British students remain persistently underrepresented at the doctoral level. There is, therefore, a clear need for all universities to examine and improve their doctoral admissions processes and practices to address this issue. This toolkit aims to support that activity, building on experiences of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
While the primary focus of the toolkit is on race and ethnicity, the approach can be adapted to address inequities affecting other underrepresented groups. Through a three-phase framework, it invites programmes, departments and institutions to examine gaps in access, critically assess admissions processes and practices, and implement initiatives that embed equity at the heart of doctoral admissions. The toolkit highlights three steps:
Understanding the issue
- Collect and analyse admissions data to identify patterns of race inequity.
- Map admissions processes to uncover formal and informal practices affecting equity in admissions.
- Gather insights from admissions staff and applicants to inform targeted initiatives at key admissions stages.
Developing and implementing solutions
- Collaboratively design, test and refine initiatives that address identified barriers.
- Adopt a holistic approach to ensure comprehensive change.
Evaluating and sustaining change
- Use iterative feedback loops to refine initiatives over time.
- Beyond process adjustments, the toolkit emphasises the need to implement steps toward changing institutional and departmental cultures.
Acknowledgments
Authors
The Close the Gap project team at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge:
Paulina Rodriguez-Anaiz*, Kelsey Inouye*, Sara Baker, Cherry Benson, Edward Dodson, Kerri Gardiner, David Gavaghan, Tanne Heathershaw, Sonia Ilie, Cecily Jonckheer, Maya McFarlane, Nuala Murray, Nadia Pollini, James Robson, Danielle Watkis.
* Joint first authors; contributed equally to this work
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