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Black Women at Imperial
A Provost-sponsored partnership with WHEN Equality to strengthen progression, build community and unlock institutional talent.
If you identify as Black or of mixed/multiple Black heritage and work or study at Imperial, join the mailing list to receive information about upcoming participation opportunities.
Ā Strengthening Progression at Imperial
Imperial and WHEN Equality are partnering to strengthen the career progression of Black women across the institution.
Sponsored by the Provost & Deputy President, this initiative will:
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Build connection and visibility across the Black women pipeline
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Provide clarity on progression readiness
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Generate aggregated, evidence-informed insight to inform institutional action
This work supports Imperialā€™s wider commitment to equity, excellence and strengthening its internal talent pipeline.
Why Focus on Black Women?
National data shows that Black women remain significantly underrepresented at senior levels in UK higher education. Evidence also shows that progression processes can lack transparency and consistency, contributing to structural disparities.
Targeted, evidence-informed initiatives enable institutions to better understand and address these patterns. This partnership allows Imperial to take informed, proportionate action.
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Who Can Join?
All Black women employed at Imperial, including:
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Academic staff
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Professional services staff (including technicians)
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Postdoctoral researchers
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Doctoral researchers
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All grades and contract types
This includes colleagues who identify as Black African, Black Caribbean, Black British, from the wider Black diaspora, or of mixed/multiple Black heritage.
Black trans women are welcome to participate. Non-binary colleagues who are comfortable in a female-centred space are also welcome.
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What Happens After You Join?
You will receive information about:
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The confidential Progression Scorecard
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Career development and action planning initiatives
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Community-building opportunities
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Opportunities to inform institutional recommendations
There is no obligation to participate beyond receiving information.
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Your Data & Confidentiality
Individual data is processed and stored independently by WHEN.
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Imperial receives anonymised, aggregated insights only.
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All data handling is GDPR compliant.
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Participation will not be shared with managers or departments.
Q&A
To strengthen progression, build community and generate evidence-informed insight to inform institutional action.
Yes. Individual data is processed independently by WHEN. Only anonymised, aggregated insights are shared with Imperial.
This initiative is open to colleagues of African and Caribbean heritage, including those from the wider Black diaspora and those of mixed/multiple Black heritage. Participation is based on self-identification.
No. This initiative does not change recruitment or promotion processes. It provides progression insight and institutional analysis to strengthen fairness and transparency.
Join the Black Women at Imperial Mailing List
Be part of strengthening progression and shaping what comes next.