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Dr Benjamin Ajibade
Flagship Initiative

ELEVATE Academic Network

Equity Led Empowerment for Voices in Academic Transformation and Education

A UK initiative providing structured mentoring, academic skills development, and career progression support for early-career researchers and doctoral students from ethnic minority backgrounds — grounded in five years of published scholarship and aligned with Northumbria University’s Race Equality Charter commitments and University Strategy 2030.

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ELEVATE — Equity Led Empowerment for Voices in Academic Transformation and Education
The problem we exist to solve

ELEVATE was not created in response to a feeling. It was created in response to evidence.

16% vs 37%PGR acceptance rate — Black applicants vs White applicants at Northumbria University
1.2%Share of funded UK Research Council PhD studentships received by Black students, despite representing 6% of undergraduates
6%Black applicants who successfully secured UKRI research funding in 2021–22, compared to 31% of White applicants
3.5%Black researchers who go on to become professors, compared to nearly 12% of White researchers

These are not Northumbria statistics alone. They are the sector. At every stage of the academic pipeline — from doctoral admission to professorship to research funding — the gap widens. The talent is there. The ambition is there. What is missing is the structure to support it.

ELEVATE Academic Network is that structure.

Built on evidence

ELEVATE is the institutional translation of a coherent, five-year programme of scholarship. It is not a new idea in search of evidence.

  1. 01

    Research

    Peer-reviewed studies on PGR access, racialised awarding gaps, career progression of racially minoritised academics, and LEGO® Serious Play. Published in Human Resource Development International, Equity in Education & Society, and the British Educational Research Journal.

  2. 02

    Pro:NE Partnership

    £2.5m Office for Students and Research England funded partnership across five North East universities. Northumbria Institutional Lead. Six funded PhDs, 14 workshops, cross-institutional mentoring network, culturally responsive wellbeing pathway.

  3. 03

    Admissions Briefing Note

    Practical equitable admissions guidance published on the national Race Equality Charter resources page and in active use by PGR selectors across the sector.

  4. 04

    Anti-Racist Nursing Education

    FRA-funded co-production of workshops and a toolkit with student partners (2025–26, ongoing).

  5. 05

    Undergraduate Curriculum Reform

    Formal proposal for a Cultural Competence Training Workshop for pre-registration BSc Nursing students, submitted to the Associate Head of School Education.

Key publications
2026

Challenges to the career progression of racially minoritised academics in UK higher education: exploring institutional and social barriers

Ajibade, B. O.

Human Resource Development International

2025

Exploring Access to Postgraduate Research: Perceptions and Experiences of Ethnic Minority Students at a Post-92 United Kingdom University

Ajibade, B. O., Hayman, R., Oguna, C. & Ackah, M.

Equity in Education & Society

2026

Addressing the Racialised Awarding Gap in Higher Education: Insights from Personal Tutors

Ajibade, B. O., Hayman, R., Hibbs, A. & Gabi, J.

British Educational Research Journal

Impact already achieved

ELEVATE builds on institutional change that has already happened.

  • Mentoring for racially minoritised PGRs built into academic staff workloading models at Northumbria
  • Equitable admissions guidance published on the national Race Equality Charter resources page, in active use by PGR selectors
  • Race Equality Charter Bronze Award achieved (2024) — programme’s evidence contributed to the self-assessment
  • PGR equity objectives embedded into Northumbria University Strategy 2030
  • Anti-racist nursing education toolkit co-produced with student partners (ongoing)
  • Case study ‘Removing Barriers, Building Belonging’ published on Northumbria University intranet, EEE — Inclusion, Access and Equity Hub
3,200+Staff and students engaged across five North East universities
62Mentoring relationships delivered (248 hours total)
80–90%Positive satisfaction ratings across Pro:NE workshops
6Funded PhD studentships delivered through Pro:NE
What ELEVATE provides

Three pillars, one structure.

Mentoring and Belonging

Peer mentoring circles pairing early-career researchers with established academics. Monthly confidential safe space conversations. One-to-one pastoral support. Cross-institutional connections with researchers who understand the journey from the inside.

Academic Skills Development

Writing for publication workshops. Grant application clinics and funding literacy sessions. Conference presentation coaching. Researcher identity workshops using LEGO® Serious Play methodology.

Career Progression and Visibility

CV and academic promotion readiness clinics. Connections to Advance HE and the Race Equality Charter. An annual ELEVATE Showcase celebrating and amplifying member research. Fellowship and leadership programme signposting.

The ELEVATE principles

Seven commitments, one column.

The acronym is the mission: each letter is a commitment that shapes how the network mentors, teaches, and advocates.

  1. E
    EquityCentering fairness in everything we do.
  2. L
    LedDriven by those with lived experience.
  3. E
    EmpowermentBuilding strength and agency in researchers.
  4. V
    VoicesAmplifying those too often unheard.
  5. A
    AcademicReshaping the research landscape.
  6. T
    TransformationSystemic change, not surface-level fixes.
  7. E
    EducationElevating the next generation of diverse scholars.
Get involved

Join the Network

ELEVATE Academic Network is growing. Whether you are an early-career researcher looking for mentoring and community, an academic who wants to contribute as a mentor, or an institution interested in partnership — we want to hear from you.

For Researchers

You are an ethnic minority early-career researcher or doctoral student navigating academic life. ELEVATE was built for you. Get in touch to find out how to join the next cohort.

For Mentors

You are an established academic with experience to share and a commitment to equity. Join us as a peer mentor and help build the academic cultures we all deserve.

For Institutions

You lead a university, faculty, or research centre and want to embed genuine equity into your structures. Let’s talk about partnership.

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