This Research Topic is based on the Open University BME Researchers Group Seminar Series. The seminar series explores different epistemologies including Black feminist, intersectional and critical race approaches. Recently, there has been much discussion and debate about the use of Critical Race Theory by politicians in the USA and UK, and the nature of this well be explored.
In relation to racial inequalities in higher education, a plethora of reports have identified the BME Awarding Gap and the experience of BME students in higher education; the lack of BME academics, particularly BME professors in higher education. For example, there are only 26 Black female professors in the UK. However racial inequality in higher education also extends to BME research students. Of 19,868 PhD studentships awarded by all the research councils between 2016 and 2018, only 245, 1.2 % were awarded to Black and Mixed-race students and only 30 were awarded to Black Caribbean students.
This disparity is reflected in the small number of research grants awarded to research studies led by Black Principal Investigators and research projects which focus on the experiences of Black and minority ethnic communities. Hence, there are huge disparities experienced by BME individuals from schooling through to higher education. In addition, Research Funding Councils and Charitable bodies have few BME members on their funding committees which further reinforces disparities in research funding.
Approaches for addressing these gaps remain underdeveloped and, where there are strategies, they are not straightforward. The seminar program aimed to help participants gain deeper insight into these gaps and explore solutions for closing BME outcome gaps at the Open University and other higher education institutions.
This Research Topic is based on the Open University BME Researchers Group Seminar Series. The seminar series explores different epistemologies including Black feminist, intersectional and critical race approaches. Recently, there has been much discussion and debate about the use of Critical Race Theory by politicians in the USA and UK, and the nature of this well be explored.
In relation to racial inequalities in higher education, a plethora of reports have identified the BME Awarding Gap and the experience of BME students in higher education; the lack of BME academics, particularly BME professors in higher education. For example, there are only 26 Black female professors in the UK. However racial inequality in higher education also extends to BME research students. Of 19,868 PhD studentships awarded by all the research councils between 2016 and 2018, only 245, 1.2 % were awarded to Black and Mixed-race students and only 30 were awarded to Black Caribbean students.
This disparity is reflected in the small number of research grants awarded to research studies led by Black Principal Investigators and research projects which focus on the experiences of Black and minority ethnic communities. Hence, there are huge disparities experienced by BME individuals from schooling through to higher education. In addition, Research Funding Councils and Charitable bodies have few BME members on their funding committees which further reinforces disparities in research funding.
Approaches for addressing these gaps remain underdeveloped and, where there are strategies, they are not straightforward. The seminar program aimed to help participants gain deeper insight into these gaps and explore solutions for closing BME outcome gaps at the Open University and other higher education institutions.