News / University of Bristol
£20,000 grant awarded to empower underrepresented students in research
A £20,000 grant has been awarded to the Students’ Union at the University of Bristol to empower underrepresented students in research.
The research will be focussed on exploring the barriers for men of colour in accessing non-NHS health support.
The grant from Research England’s, Research Culture Fund is part of the university’s new Future Research Leaders Project.
Eight students selected from underrepresented backgrounds will be given hands-on research experience over the next six months.
They will be assisted by the university’s Research & Insights team and local mental health charity Changes Bristol.
The aim is to develop innovative, research-backed solutions to this local issue, offering a unique perspective on community driven change.
Sharan Khemlani, one of the Future Research Leaders, said: “Coming from the developing islands of the Caribbean, an opportunity like this, allowing a diverse group of students to conduct and collaborate on such meaningful work is truly rare.
“So far, our varying backgrounds in terms of where we’re all from, what we’re studying, our personal experiences with the topic etc, have allowed us to share ideas and concepts with each other that we would not have heard otherwise.
“The project itself is a deeply relevant and necessary one as mental health support in itself can be a heavy and nuanced topic.
“Particularly where I am from, these topics tend to be sidelined, and this neglect often leads to violence in our societies.
The Future Research Leaders Project is all part of overcoming barriers in academia for those from underrepresented backgrounds as research suggests that inequalities are present.
The students will receive funding, project management training, and leadership workshops, alongside mentoring from Project Lead, Rasheed Taiwo.
Findings from this project will be shared with Changes Bristol and other stakeholders, paving the way for actionable improvements that benefit both the student population and the broader Bristol community.
Changes Bristol added: “We are so excited to be working in conjunction with this project to better understand how to serve this community better.”
Results will be showcased at the Research England Festival in July, underscoring the value of diverse community led research.
Main photo: University of Bristol
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