DiveIn CDT contributes to multi-institutional research on equitable doctoral admissions at UKCGE 2026
DiveIn CDT Co-Director, Professor Qammer H. Abbasi, travelled to Liverpool on 2-3 July to present at the UK Council for Graduate Education (UKCGE) Annual Conference 2026, sharing new research on how UK institutions are embedding equity within doctoral admissions practices.
Representing a collaborative team from Nottingham Trent University, Newcastle University, The Open University and the University of Glasgow, Professor Abbasi presented the paper Reconfiguring doctoral admissions through competency: a multi-institutional ethnography of equity-in-practice.
Exploring equity in doctoral recruitment
The research examines how a competency-based admissions framework can help widen participation and reduce barriers in postgraduate researcher (PGR) recruitment. Developed by Nottingham Trent University through the EDEPI competency-based doctoral admissions framework, the framework is currently being piloted and adapted across several institutions, including through the DiveIn CDT.
Using a multi-institutional ethnographic approach, the study explored how the framework was interpreted and implemented in different university settings. The findings highlighted both common challenges and opportunities, including how institutions balance considerations of equity and excellence, adapt admissions practices to local contexts, and support cultural change through staff development and revised recruitment processes.
The research also highlights the important role practitioner-researchers can play in driving institutional change, offering valuable insights for the wider higher education sector on embedding equity as a core principle of doctoral recruitment.
Reflecting on the conference, Professor Abbasi said:
“It was a pleasure to contribute to the UK Council for Graduate Education Conference in Liverpool and engage in thought-provoking discussions on the future of postgraduate education. I was proud to represent our collaborative DiveIn CDT research and share our vision of how diversity and inclusion can drive innovation while supporting the next generation of researchers and leaders. Thank you to the organisers and all those who contributed to such engaging discussions.”
The presentation formed part of UKCGE’s Annual Conference 2026, themed Postgraduate Cultures: Community, Collaboration and Connection.
We are proud to contribute to this multi-institutional collaboration, working alongside colleagues from Nottingham Trent University, Newcastle University and The Open University to explore more inclusive approaches to doctoral recruitment.
As institutions across the sector seek to widen participation and strengthen research cultures, this work offers practical insights into how competency-based admissions frameworks can be adapted and embedded across different institutional contexts.
Further Reading
EDEPI: Equity in Doctoral Education through Partnership and Innovation – Learn more about the project and its aims to improve equity in doctoral recruitment.
EDEPI Case Studies – Explore how participating institutions have adapted and implemented the competency-based doctoral admissions framework in their own contexts.
DiveIn CDT Competency-Based Recruitment Model – Read about DiveIn’s experience of embedding a competency-based approach to postgraduate researcher recruitment.