06 January 2025

One of Co(l)laboratory’s core aims is “To enable local people from more diverse backgrounds to succeed in research”. To work towards achieving this, Co(l)laboratory is drawing on the latest research and best practice on equity and inclusion in Higher Education (from experts such as the Equity in Doctoral Education through Partnership and Innovation programme and Advance HE) to redesign the PhD admissions process.

Applicant assessment

We assess all Co(l)laboratory applicants using our pioneering competency framework. This framework has been designed to assess candidates as holistic individuals and their potential for success, rather than placing a narrow focus on a more exclusionary, limited set of traditional academic metrics alone.

The competency framework we have developed is based on the recently published work of the Equity in Doctoral Education through Partnership and Innovation programme (EDEPI). EDEPI’s work on postgraduate researcher admissions has enabled us to separate out what skills a candidate will learn during a research development opportunity like a PhD or Research Placement, and which skills are necessary to succeed in such a setting, but which can’t necessarily be taught during. This allows us to make a fairer and more rigorous assessment of applicants who have a wider variety of skills, experiences, and educational and professional journeys than we would by simply looking at a list of qualifications.

Each Research Placement project advert includes details of the core and project-specific competencies which applicants are assessed against. These are not intended to be exact checklists. Rather, similarly to a person specification for a job, they have been designed to help you understand if you are right for the project, and to help us make a more well-rounded assessment of your potential to become a successful researcher. If you feel that you meet most but not all of the competency criteria, we strongly encourage you to still consider applying.

All applications are also blinded before assessment. This means that the panels which review your applications will not see any of your personal identifying information such as your name, gender, ethnicity, address, disability status, etc. 

Removing barriers to success

Nottingham Trent University, the University of Nottingham and Co(l)laboratory are committed to creating an accessible, equitable, and inclusive research environment for all of our candidates. Our ethos is ‘success for all’ — if you’ve got the talent, the perspectives and the capacity to deliver change, we’ll support you. 

• Both universities support flexible approaches to working for all candidates to accommodate their personal needs, responsibilities, and ways of working.
• Both universities support accessibility accommodations for all applicants and successful candidates.
• To help candidates prepare their application, an offline copy of the full application form has been made available as an editable Word document.
• At interview stage, applicants are given details of who will be on their interview panel, and are provided with the core interview questions ahead of time to ensure that applicants are not being assessed on the subjective ability to anticipate lines of questioning.
• To support all applicants in making informed decisions before they choose to apply for a Co(l)laboratory Research Placement, we have produced an evidence-based guide to understanding what PhDs are and what is involved in doing a PhD. While Research Placements are not PhDs, they operate at a similar level of research, commitment, and expectations to that of a PhD.

Disability Assurance Scheme

Building on the success and best practice of the UK government’s Disability Confident Scheme, Co(l)laboratory has implemented its own Disability Assurance Scheme.

Under this scheme, if you have declared in your application that you have a disability, you can choose to be guaranteed an interview, provided you meet the essential competencies of the project you are applying to.