Liz Gilfillan: The aims of Racial Diversity UK

Programme Head’s personal reflections on the country’s changing demography and racial inequalities

I am delighted to have recently joined the Nuffield Foundation as Programme Head for the exciting new Racial Diversity UK programme which is now open for applications.

The UK’s racial diversity has changed considerably since the arrival of the Empire Windrush in 1948, marking the beginning of the post-war settlement of citizens from Britain’s former colonies. My grandmother arrived from Jamaica in 1955, settling in Brixton and working in the NHS, like so many of the Windrush generation, sending for my mother once she had earned enough to pay her fare, some two years later.

Many decades on, the 2021 Census shows that more than 25% of the population belong to ethnic groups other than White British. Patterns of growth in racial diversity have varied across the UK with populations becoming more racially diverse in most places, particularly in larger urban areas. Understanding the nature and impact of this changing demography and the opportunities and challenges it brings is at the heart of this new programme.

But not everything has changed over this time. The overt racism from patients and institutional racism in the hospital where my grandmother worked in the 1950s is much the same as that experienced by racially minoritised UK citizens and migrant workers today. Racism and racial inequalities are, of course, not confined to health services. There is a substantial body of research evidencing racial disparities in most areas of UK life, from health to housing, education to employment, crime and policing to criminal justice.

About the programme

I want Racial Diversity UK to help find solutions to end racial injustice by generating better evidence of the actions needed to achieve this. While we have good evidence of racial inequalities, there is not much evidence of what works to end racial disparities, nor of when, how or if policy and programme interventions are effective in achieving this. We also want to enable examination of the wider benefits and opportunities that racial diversity can bring.

The Racial Diversity UK programme is opening with a broad reach. Applicants might address questions of socio-economic equality, international comparisons, experiences of place, belonging and identity, barriers to and opportunities for inclusion, or demographic trajectories. Intersections of race with class, disability, gender and intergenerational dynamics is another potentially important area of study. We are particularly interested in research that helps identify the contribution of racial justice and diversity to social well-being, and how we can achieve that. Grants from £15,000 to £750,000 are available.

Racial Diversity UK is focused on contemporary and future racial diversity as shaped by the UK’s colonial history; specifically, by the migration and settlement of citizens from former colonies which have given the UK its distinct, racialised demography. In practice, this could mean research focused on some or all racial groups with this history, or relations between any or all of the UK’s racial groups, including White populations. The origins of the programme funding mean that research focused solely on a racial or ethnic group outside this colonial history would not be eligible for this programme but could be funded through the other Nuffield research grant programmes.

We want to attract applicants from diverse backgrounds, particularly from individuals and organisations from racially minoritised communities. We strongly encourage partnership applications which bring together researchers and racially minoritised communities to explore challenges and develop solutions.

If you are interested in applying to Racial Diversity UK, I would be very pleased to discuss your research ideas, at whatever stage you are in your thinking. Or to talk more generally about the potential for the Racial Diversity UK programme to help create a racially just and inclusive society. You can contact me on this email: RDUK@nuffieldfoundation.org.