Feedback is one of the most important parts of our DTP. It helps us understand where we get things right, and where we need to do better. Everyone involved with ARIES, from applicants to the Director, is asked for feedback, and we read and consider every comment and data point to see how we can improve.

Measuring Diversity

Over the past 5 years we have increased our monitoring of diversity within our DTP. This now includes monitoring the diversity at every stage of the recruitment process, but also within our Boards, Training Providers, Interview Panels, Staff, and cohorts of PGRs. We don’t just monitor the statistics, we also work hard to look at what the data tells us and how can we improve. You can read about ways we have already improved below:

Diversity in Management

ARIES Boards are comprised of paid staff (Director, Manager, Administrator) and unpaid volunteers (representatives from all of our partner organisations, and those with special responsibility for key ARIES areas like Wellbeing, DEI, Research and Training). Our initial Boards were predominantly white and male, and we have worked hard to hold diversity in the forefront of our minds when appointing new members. However we are also limited in those that can and will volunteer. Where members step down at the end of their term, we now request that organisations consider diversity when selecting nominees to our Boards.

In addition we appointed a Head of Equality, Diversity, Inclusion, and Widening Participation (EDI&WP), who has specific responsibility to ensure that we consider these important points in every event and discussion that takes place. We have introduced a standing item on EDI&WP at each Strategy Board meeting.

Diversity in Training

We received feedback that our training providers did not show good gender diversity – most being male and white. We work hard with every event to ensure there is now diversity in gender as well as other characteristics. We don’t always get this right – at one recent event we had the opposite problem of only female training providers, but diversity in multiple characteristics is now in the forefront of our minds when recruiting to these roles.

Inclusion in Training

The following actions have been taken since the start of ARIES DTP:

• Dates for Mandatory Training events made available at the start of PhD
• Schedule and any pre-work required for mandatory events available at least two weeks prior to the event
• Reasonable adjustments requested for every cohort event
• Clear statement of physicality of events and activities provided in advance
• Provision for accompanying families to attend residential events (accommodation space made available, although not funded)
• Provision for part-time PGRs to access Training events and reporting requirements according to individual schedule
• Conscious of inclusivity where events include social/group activities, or involve the presence of alcohol
• Quiet areas, and rooms for prayer made available at residential events
• TNA encourages consideration of work-life balance
• School holiday dates are avoided wherever possible
• Religious festivals are avoided wherever possible, but where this is not possible the needs of those that observe religious restrictions are borne in mind and adjustments made where requested.

Inclusion in Recruitment

• Applicants are given clear information regarding how applications are assessed, and provided with basic advice of what to include in their personal statement.
• We hold a pre-application webinar, with bursaries available for those in under-represented groups, to advise on the application process and career opportunities available to those with a PhD.
• We hold a pre-interview webinar/Q&A: all nominees invited and can ask anonymous questions via a padlet board. This includes a presentation including what to expect from the interview and Q&A with current students
• Interviewees are informed of interview process and general questions in advance
• Interviewees are informed of panel members in advance
• Interviews begin with a presentation from the candidate – this allows them to take control of the process and settle in to the interview by starting with what they know.
• Candidates & Panellists are invited to request reasonable adjustments
• Criteria for assessment are based on current achievements given opportunities to date, and future potential. This is specifically designed so that those that have not had access to opportunities like internships, Masters degrees, or coaching, are able to perform to their potential in our interviews
• All interview panels have gender diversity
• Panellists are required to have undertaken EDI and Unconscious Bias training
• Panellists are briefed on the need to bear in mind invisible disabilities, balance evidence from written application with interview performance, and ensure that those who lack a postgraduate qualification or extracurricular research experience are not to be disadvantaged
• School holiday dates are avoided wherever possible
• Religious festivals are avoided wherever possible, but where this is not possible the needs of those that observe religious restrictions are borne in mind and adjustments made where requested.

Inclusion in Management

• School holiday dates are avoided wherever possible
• Religious festivals are avoided wherever possible, but where this is not possible the needs of those that observe religious restrictions are borne in mind and adjustments made where requested.
• Meetings are held in ‘core hours’ i.e. between the hours of 9:30 and 14:30 wherever possible.

Current Activities

We are currently looking at the data we have for the past 8 years and comparing it to national figures for Environmental Sciences. This will help us gauge where we may be lacking in diversity, but also help us determine what diversity monitoring we may be missing. In addition, we are interviewing those that have graduated from our programme and those currently studying with us, to ask them about their experiences of Higher Education, doing a PhD, and their career path to date. This qualitative research will help us understand the experiences of all groups, but especially the experience of individuals from minoritised groups, and we hope this will give us specific insights into how we can do better.

As ever, we are asking for, and receiving, feedback, which we act on.