This internship project will support the “Interrogating the Viva: Making PhD assessment more equitable, fair and inclusive” project. The overarching aim of the project is to collect information on the EDI implications of how we currently assess PhDs, to establish ways to make the PhD viva process more accessible and inclusive.

The report, design, and delivery of the focus groups during the internship will benefit the wider project by contributing to the collection of important information on the EDI implications of the ways in which PhDs are currently assessed and by ensuring the recommendation report reflects the views of the project’s participants.

Internship Project Information

The successful researcher will be supported in identifying ways to make the PhD viva process more accessible and inclusive. This will involve devising a report of possible recommendations for the universities’ postgraduate research committees or equivalent.

This report will be focus-grouped for further edits and revisions.  The intern will be supported to design and manage 4-5 focus groups to collect feedback on the recommendation report, and work with the wider team to help implement this feedback.

The project may also benefit from having an intern involved in putting together a set of draft recommendations for ways in which universities can make the PhD examination process more equitable, fair and inclusive.