125th Anniversary PhD Scholarship in the School of Education - PhD Project: The Culture of Academic Inequalities and Attainment Gaps in the United Kingdom.

About the project

Despite significant work to address student academic inequalities in the UK Higher Education sector, the problem of attainment and progression gaps persists. University approaches to the problems are often shaped by Office for Students’ mandates to close gaps between primarily white middle class students and historically marginalised including people of colour, working class, mature and differentially abled students.

Achievement gaps are understood through metrics of difference, i.e. differentials between white middle class and historically marginalised student attainment and progression rates with white middle class attainments understood as the norm. Attempts to manage the differentials include efforts to achieve Key Performance Indicators of improvement or gap closure. Best practices used to guide initiatives are based on research produced in westernised universities in which research leadership is predominantly EuroAmerican. EuroAmerican research is not known to prioritise the lived experience of historically marginalised people within the academy. Where it produces knowledge about social realities EuroAmerican epistemologies produce ‘damage centred¹’ research about historically marginalised people rather than understandings about the structures and systems that produce inequalities. There is, therefore, a lack of knowledge and understanding about student academic inequalities and gaps from the perspective of those who live them.

This project proposes that in order to close the ‘ignorance gap’ produced by an epistemological framework that does not foreground structural and systemic analyses of education culture, including its social systems and resulting dynamics, that a critical education approach² be taken.

This PhD scholarship would offer an opportunity for a Black British researcher to engage in research to explore this enduring problem from a critical education and cultural studies perspective. University of Birmingham is home to a historical critical tradition of interrogating relationships between race and educational inequalities. What makes this scholarship significant is that it allows the recipient to pair this tradition of inquiry with the work of Jamaican-British cultural theorist Stuart Hall who is one of the pioneers of cultural studies and whose archive is currently housed at the University of Birmingham.

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Who can apply?

These scholarships are designed to create opportunities and address the underrepresentation of talented Black or Black mixed heritage students in academia. Applicants who meet all of the following criteria are eligible to apply:

1. Students classified as 'Home' for tuition fee payments
2. Members of one of the following ethnic groups:

• Black African
• Black Caribbean
• Black Other
• Mixed – White and Black Caribbean
• Mixed – White and Black African
• Other mixed background (to include Black African, Black Caribbean or Black Other)

     3. Not already enrolled on a PhD programme at the University of Birmingham

What does the scholarship provide?

1. Financial Support: Recipients of these scholarships will receive substantial financial support, including a stipend at UKRI rates, which is set at £20,780 per year for the 2025/26 academic year, and will be paid to you in regular instalments. Successful awardees will also have their tuition fees covered at a minimum of £5,006 per year. This support is designed to alleviate the financial burden often associated with pursuing a doctoral degree, such as covering tuition fees, living expenses, and research-related costs.
2. Mentorship and Guidance: Scholarship recipients will benefit from mentorship opportunities and guidance from accomplished faculty members who are dedicated to helping them succeed in their academic and research endeavours.
3. Research Opportunities: We are committed to providing an exceptional research environment. Students will have access to state-of-the-art facilities, cutting-edge resources, and a vibrant scholarly community.
4. Community Building: A key component of the scholarship programme is the creation of a supportive community of Black British researchers pursuing PhDs. This network will foster collaboration and peer support among scholars.
5. Research Training Support Grant: In addition to financial support, scholarship recipients will receive a research training support grant at £2,250 across the duration of the PhD. This grant is intended to support conference attendance, fieldwork, and other essential activities that enhance their research and academic growth.
6. Commitment to Inclusivity: We are dedicated to building an inclusive academic environment that values diversity and ensures equitable access to education.