Ethnic minority and female academics less likely to be awarded grants than white and male counterparts

A new report from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has revealed differences in grant success rates, particularly between ethnic minority and female researchers in comparison to their white and male equivalents.

The data, which harmonised the results of seven research councils from the past five years, identified several patterns between diversity characteristics and research funding success – most notably, the differences in award rates. 

In cases of both Principal Investigators and Co-Investigators, white researchers have achieved consistently higher award rates than their ethnic minority counterparts. 

According to the Times Higher Education, “white principal investigators had a success rate that was 10 percentage points higher (27%) than BAME colleagues (17%) in 2018-19, a gap that has grown six percentage points since 2015-16”, the same disparity seen for Co-Investigator grants. 

A similar gap is present within the category of gender. Though smaller than that of ethnicity, a difference of around two to three percentage points has persisted over several years, with male applicants consistently having higher award rate success than their female equivalents. 

The UKRI report also noted disparities in award value, identifying a repetitive pattern of both female and ethnic minority awardees achieving lower amounts than male and white awardees. 

For 2018-19 research grants, the median value awarded to ethnic minority researchers was £353,000, compared to £383,000 for white researchers.

The corresponding figures for female and male researchers were £336,000 and £395,000 respectively.

It will inform our continuing work in this crucial area and we will build on this in the coming months through further data publication and by outlining our next steps

– Professor Jennifer Rubin

Alongside these ethnicity and gender inequalities in grant awards, the report also identified an increase in success rates for research fellowships among female and ethnic minority academics. 

The UKRI observed: “Ethnic minority fellowship applicants had a higher award rate than white applicants in 2018–19 (21% vs. 19%), reversing the trend of previous years.” 

Some academics have suggested that this kind of research itself is problematic for grouping all ethnic minorities together.

Michael Sulu, research associate at University College London, said: “The stats look terrible. But they also aggregate, because they’d look even worse otherwise.” 

UKRI Executive Champion for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Professor Jennifer Rubin, stated that the publication “is an important contribution to our work to improve equality, diversity and inclusion across the UK’s research and innovation sector, providing us with a greater understanding of the issues we need to address”. 

Reflecting the potential of the report to incite change, Rubin claimed: “It will inform our continuing work in this crucial area and we will build on this in the coming months through further data publication and by outlining our next steps.”