The AMDD CDT’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) mission is to increase the diversity of PhD level graduates and retain talent from under-represented and minoritised backgrounds for academic and industrial employers. We believe that excellence comes through nurturing and embracing diversity. To embody this, we commit to taking a leading position in PhD level training by creating a working environment that is open to all, supports diversity and that is a safe space for minoritised students and staff.

 To accomplish our vision, we commit to:

• Recruitment strategies and student support that recognise, encourage and embrace diversity, by addressing inequalities for students from minoritised backgrounds. We particularly recognise that UK residents from Black, Pakistani and Bangladeshi backgrounds and those from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds are under-represented in UK academia, and will work actively to redress this.

• Provide an individualised mentoring programme that provides role models suitable to individual students to nurture the diversity in our student population.

• Ensure that academics, industry and all other CDT partners understand and commit to providing safe spaces to create a community that is conscientious in its responsibilities and engagements, with a particular emphasis on supporting students from minoritised backgrounds.

ED&I Working Group 

The CDT’s EDI agenda is managed by a dedicated EDI working group consisting of academics from UCL and the University of Nottingham, a CDT manager, CDT students. The working group has at least one external member from a minoritised background with lived experience to advise the EDI working group.

The EDI working group advises and reports to the CDT operations group and implements the CDT’s EDI agenda in partnership with the CDT’s training and operations group.

The EDI working group is chaired by Mischa Zelzer (University of Nottingham).

EDI Recruitment Strategy

The criteria for admission to the CDT program are excellence in academic achievements, passion for research in pharmaceutical sciences, and the potential to deliver high quality research.

We understand that outputs and track records are affected by opportunities available to individuals and we will consider this when assessing candidates for admission. If you believe that we should know of any personal circumstances, you have the opportunity to mention these in the application form.

We have a particular interest and commitment to increase our recruitment of candidates from Black, Pakistani and Bangladeshi as well as students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, and are fully aware of the barriers they face in their academic career pathway progression. We strongly encourage candidates from these backgrounds to apply. We invite such candidates to contact us for general queries about the CDT and the application process as well as specific queries about the support we offer to candidates from these backgrounds while studying with us.

Student Experience 

We understand that encouraging students from minoritised backgrounds to join our cohort places a duty of care upon us to ensure these students experience a safe and supportive work environment.

To meet our obligations, we are implementing steps to ensure the CDT is a safe space for students from minoritised backgrounds, including training of academic staff, CDT partners and CDT students. We understand the students will work in a larger community and we are therefore also engaging with operations more broadly within the University to influence the formation of safe spaces more broadly.

For personal and professional development, the CDT implements a mentorship programme that will be tailored to each student. In consultation with the student, external mentors focusing on the academic experience and career development will be identified and matched to each student to support them throughout the programme.

We offer accommodations for students with disabilities or caring responsibilities and the option to undertake part time studies.

Training Programme 

The training programme of the CDT is developed in partnership with the EDI working group and explicitly and implicitly embeds EDI principles throughout the programme. Explicit EDI aspects of the training programme include, e.g., dedicated sessions on safe spaces, recognising and eliminating bias. Implicit EDI approaches in training include equal opportunities for personal development, training delivery from people from diverse backgrounds and adaptation to feedback from students and mentors.

Feedback on EDI aspects of the CDT

The EDI group will monitor the CDT’s EDI related activities and goals and occasionally ask students, academics and CDT partners for feedback to review and evaluate the impact of these activities.

We commit to creating an open and responsive environment for students.