Supporting students from underrepresented backgrounds into careers in research: how funding from the Convocation Trust is enhancing our STRIDE programme for 2025/26
Thanks to generous support from the University of London Convocation Trust, Queen Mary’s pan-faculty endeavour, the Summer Training Research Initiative to support Diversity and Equality, or STRIDE, will this year be able to welcome six additional students from beyond the university. STRIDE is now in its fourth year of operation at Queen Mary and has seen almost 50 students take up this career-changing opportunity since it began. Read more about the Convocation Trust’s support, and STRIDE, here.
We’re delighted to share that the Convocation Trust has awarded funding to enable expanded access to our Summer Training Research Initiative to support Diversity and Equality (STRIDE). This grant reflects the Convocation Trust’s commitment to enhancing academic and extra-curricular opportunities for staff and students across the federation, and means that we can expand this programme to more students, laying the foundations for the next generation of research talent and fostering inclusive research communities.
Underrepresentation in research remains a critical issue that needs long term ambition to address. Vanishingly small percentages of students who, for example, were eligible for Free School Meals, or who are from Black Caribbean backgrounds, or who are the first in their family to attend university, go on to be successful in securing research funding for postgraduate studies. This is not a question of talent, but a symptom of how your background can impact your ability to progress.
STRIDE was set up to provide the critical skills and experiences that students from underrepresented backgrounds may have less access to, all while ensuring they are paid for their time. Students who are accepted onto the programme undertake an eight-week paid studentship, working under an academic on a piece of research. Around this, they also have access to specialist training, including CV - writing workshops and relevant field trip opportunities. STRIDE prepares students for the transition to research, but also enhances their employability in non-research careers too, by giving them access to different types of work experience.
Funding from the Convocation Trust will support the first year of a pilot programme which makes access to this scheme possible for students beyond Queen Mary. Not only will these students benefit from joining a larger cohort and gaining the skills and experience they need to secure research funding, Queen Mary will be opening the doors of opportunity to even more students.
We’re incredibly grateful to the Convocation Trust for their commitment to supporting students from underrepresented backgrounds to succeed in postgraduate education. STRIDE, and this pilot programme, has the capacity to grow almost exponentially with further support. If you would be interested in learning more about this, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Development Team.