Unblocking the Pipeline: Supporting the Retention, Progression and Promotion of Early Career Black Academics

This report explores the experiences of Black early-career academics (ECAs) in higher education. Based on a survey of nearly 100 Black ECAs and 24 interviews with staff working on initiatives to support them, this report examines the challenges faced by Black ECAs in securing a post and advancing their careers. By evaluating the initiatives currently implemented, this report then investigates how higher education institutions can effectively support Black ECAs.

In our discussion of the challenges faced by Black ECAs, we find that:

• Most survey respondents feel they have good relationships with their colleagues (68%), but only a minority feel their pay is fair (32%), their workplace is inclusive (34%) and they are supported with their mental and physical wellbeing (38%).

• The biggest barriers to career progression identified by respondents are unconscious bias, a lack of community and a lack of clarity around promotion criteria.

• Black ECAs often feel ‘invisible’, in that they are passed over for promotion or not acknowledged for the work they do. But they are also expected to do more additional work, such as sitting on interview panels and mentoring colleagues.

• They also feel distanced from conversations around promotion and progression, which may partly be because Black staff are often poorly represented at the top levels of university leadership. They particularly value mentorship as a way of advancing their careers.

In our exploration of the initiatives used to support Black ECAs, we find that:

• Less than two-fifths of survey respondents (38%) would feel comfortable reporting bullying or harassment to their institution, and a quarter (27%) feel race is a taboo topic where they work.

• The interventions seen as most effective are the active recruitment of Black academics and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) training. Survey respondents also wanted more targeted grants to fund PhD places for Black candidates.

The most effective strategies were not just about supporting candidates to find a post; they also involved providing support for Black ECAs throughout their roles.

We recommend that higher education institutions looking to support their Black ECAs formalise existing informal processes around promotion and mentorship, which have patchy availability and are of inconsistent quality. Higher education institutions should:

• Provide mentorship programmes for ECAs of all ethnicities, standardised across the institution. Mentors should receive training and be recognised for this work when allocating workloads and considering promotion prospects.

• Provide studentships and scholarships targeted at candidates who face disadvantages developing their careers in higher education, coupled with ongoing support for those candidates throughout their period of work.

• Show leadership on this issue by sharing best practice, following through on interventions and rigorously evaluating the effectiveness of initiatives.