Research focus groups exploring data collection for racially minoritised staff 

Are you a racially minoritised person working in research – either as a researcher, allied health professional, or in research-supporting professional services? Are you keen to make the research workforce more inclusive?  

Organisations involved in research are starting to collect information about their workforce to better understand employee needs, explore gaps in the workforce, and support career progression.

A research team based at the University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust is undertaking a research project to understand why research staff from racially minoritised backgrounds may not wish to share their perceptions in a staff survey or share their personal information. The aim is to identify what would help staff feel more comfortable to do so, and to explore barriers to career progression.

We invite you to share your experiences in a 2-hour focus group, to be held between 29 September – 10 October 2025 either online or in person. Deadline for registration is 2pm on Friday 26 September.

Further information

You can learn more about this project, its aims and intended outcomes by consulting the Participant Information Sheet and/or joining one of our informational drop-in sessions. These will take place online on:

• Tuesday 23 September, 12:00-12:45pm – add to calendar
• Wednesday 24 September, 4:30-5:15pm – add to calendar
• Friday 26 September, 12:00-12:45pm – add to calendar

If you have any questions, please email Freen Mehdi at freen.mehdi@uhb.nhs.uk.