- Trial interventions aim to transform the outcomes and experiences of engineering students from underrepresented groups, including students with multiple intersecting markers of disadvantage
The Royal Academy of Engineering’s Diversity Impact Programme has awarded its second cohort of grants of up to £100k each to eight UK universities to support projects that address the unequal outcomes experienced by their students from diverse and underrepresented groups studying engineering.
An important aspect of the programme is that the universities themselves define what they need to meet their diversity challenges. Some of this year’s projects focus particularly on the barriers faced by students with multiple intersecting markers of disadvantage.
Launched in October 2021, the Diversity Impact Programme aims to inspire change in university engineering departments so that all students succeed, enabling the unique perspectives and experiences of engineers from diverse backgrounds to enhance the profession.
Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said:
“Engineering and technology shape the world around us and play a critical role in addressing some of the greatest global challenges of our age. It is therefore vital that the engineering profession is reflective of the society it seeks to serve.
“There is also an overwhelming evidence base for the business benefits of diverse teams and inclusive leadership so as an Academy one of our priorities is to ensure that the UK has a world-leading and truly inclusive engineering workforce, something that we can only achieve if we boost the numbers and diversity of those choosing engineering careers.
“In order to do that we need to address the inequality of experience and outcomes for engineering students and graduates from underrepresented groups. I hope these projects will provide important insights into how we can achieve this and help to create more inclusive cultures at a critical stage for aspiring engineers.”
The eight projects being funding are as follows (value of award in brackets). More detail about each project can be found on the Academy’s website.
- University of Bath (£100,000)
Building unconventional engineering careers: creating your unique fit
The project aims to empower engineering graduates from underrepresented groups by developing their entrepreneurship skills, confidence and resilience to failure and providing access to an influential business support network. It will also include specific follow-up actions for participant ventures. - University of Bristol (£100,000)
Capture, evaluate, and improve: Co-creating a cycle of empowerment for underrepresented groups (Ca-pow!)
Ca-pow! will address the barriers faced by students with multiple intersecting markers of disadvantage who are joining the Faculty of Engineering. Activities will look to empower students from underrepresented groups through co-creation and co-delivery of workstreams that will include activities such as mentoring, systemic evaluation and bottom-up training. - Canterbury Christ Church University (£93,500)
EDI engineering employability learning toolkit
The School of Engineering, Technology and Design is launching a new equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) focused engineering higher education toolkit. This aims to increase the pipeline of women, Black, Asian, minority ethnic and low socioeconomic status students to address the regional skills gap. Students will participate in developing an EDI engineering employability learning toolkit to help themselves and others to improve their immediate and long-term social capital and employability. Working closely with EqualEngineers and other stakeholders to research and develop the toolkit, students will undertake activities such as networking and work placement, while also developing personal development, including in work readiness and curriculum skills. The final EDI toolkit will provide customised support for underrepresented students to showcase their engineering talent and transition into employment. - University of Dundee (£97,000)
EMBEDD – Engaging Minoritised Beneficiaries in Engineering Diversity Development
EMBEDD is aimed at students and high school pupils from low socio-economic backgrounds, recognising the intersection with issues impacting women, those from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds and those with disabilities. Individuals from these backgrounds are underrepresented in both the pursuit of engineering qualifications and in the engineering sector. The project has two strands. One is to enhance and improve the outcomes and career prospects of engineering students from underrepresented groups, and the other is to empower students from these backgrounds to inspire school students from similar backgrounds to enter higher education. - University of Hertfordshire (£61,000)
Building the pipeline of Black talent across engineering courses
This project seeks to inspire Black students to choose relevant A levels, a degree and a subsequent career in engineering through a programme of work consisting of a five-day residential course at the University of Hertfordshire, taken at the end of Year 10. Follow-up revision workshops over the Easter holidays and mentoring with current Black, Asian and minority ethnic students will also support the students’ journey to university. - Teesside University (£100,000)
Building Research Awareness for a Sustainable Future
The Tees Valley is one of the most disadvantaged areas in the country with low participation in higher education. Teesside University has increased recruitment of home students, but they are significantly underrepresented (41%) within postgraduate engineering research. This project aims to provide home students with a range of activities—including paid research internships on locally relevant research projects—that develop their digital skills and knowledge of the methodologies needed in the new, high-value industries aligned to sustainable engineering and net-zero technology that are at the heart of the Tees Valley’s economic and industrial regeneration. - Ulster University (£70,000)
Women in Electronics Engineering Program (WE-Bridge-Program)
The current skills gap in the UK electronics industry could be reduced if more women opted to study electrical and electronics engineering courses. WE-Bridge-Program aims to bridge the gender gap in students joining these courses at Ulster University through activities to help increase the number of girls who study physics A level. The project aims to understand and address why girls do not current opt for physics and the other current and perceived barriers exist to women entering the electronics industry. Current university students will be consulted and will co-create all stages of the project which will include activities designed to attract and increase diversity, including discussion sessions and workshops with secondary school students and help and training for teachers. - University of the West of England (£89,000)
Making and knowledge exchange for repair & sustainability (MAKERS)
MAKERS aims to improve belonging for engineering students from underrepresented groups by developing connections with local maker and repair communities in the region. Through co-development and repair workshops with local groups, students will be brought together in a purposeful and practical environment, enabling student community formation to generate peer support and friendship. Students will add value to communities, solving community-generated problems and fixing broken goods.
Projects will run for 12 to 18 months. All grant recipients have demonstrated a commitment to transformative change and will join a community of practice to facilitate learning across the cohort of grantees and the wider engineering higher education sector.
This programme is funded through the Academy’s allocation of funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Notes for editors
- The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.