In2research System Level Evaluation Plan
The In2research programme is one of 13 projects funded by Research England and the Office for Students to address widening participation in and improve access to doctoral research.
UCL and In2scienceUK collaboratively established the programme in response to the ground-breaking Broken Pipeline report (Leading Routes, 2019), which called for urgent action to address systemic barriers facing underrepresented people in pursuing doctoral research. Each of the 13 projects, in their own distinct ways, have informed us about the barriers to participation and demonstrated the profound impact of inclusive recruitment practices and research culture for all.
At UCL, we are always seeking to develop and implement bold and innovative ways to overcome persistent structural and cultural barriers in research. The In2research programme is not just an isolated institutional intervention but intended to be a programme with sector-wide ambitions. The programme counters deficit-based approaches, which focus solely on the perceived shortcomings and pre-conceived notions of students’ abilities. However, we recognise that meaningful and sustainable impact, beyond the impact on the participants, is far from straightforward.
To understand how best to evaluate system-level impact for In2research, we mapped current practices, identified gaps, and sought guidance from experts in research and higher education. Led by The Brilliant Club, the evaluation began as an internal review and mapping of our outcomes against our intentions as outlined in the Theory of Change model. Soon, it evolved into something far more significant: a potential framework for evaluating cultural transformation within complex higher education institutions that needed to be shared and communicated.
With this exercise, we were reminded of the value of recognising and internalising progress and sharing practice to create lasting change to empowered research and research communities. We remain convinced of the transformative power of widening participation in doctoral research. But more importantly, we believe in the need for lasting change that embeds inclusion into the research ecosystem. Our hope is that this report, using UCL as a case study, highlights what has been achieved through the In2research programme but also beacons best practices for facilitating system-level evaluation.
This is a resource produced by a Research-England-funded EDI project. UKCGE has not been involved in the production of the content and the materials themselves have been uploaded with the permission of Research England and the project leaders. Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders; if we have made omissions or you feel certain materials should not be included here, please get in touch via ukcge@ukcge.ac.uk.