Evidence shows that: 

1. diverse role models are key to increasing diversity at all stages of the career pathway [21][22][23], 
2. young people are more likely to enter a career in research if they have been exposed to it at an earlier time [24]. 
   
   

“See Yourself in Energy”, PA3, aims to inspire the next generation of energy researchers by engaging with final year undergraduates (or Masters) from underrepresented backgrounds at the partner universities, and encouraging them to transition into energy researchers. Energy Research Champions (ERCs) will be recruited from all network member institutions at PhD and PDRA-level, with a particular focus on representing diverse identities. Each ERC will be partnered with a co-located undergraduate or Masters student volunteer, with similar characteristics to the ERC. As a team, they will provide demonstration sessions, based on the ERC’s research, in either local secondary schools, libraries, or science museums. The aim is to expose all participants to research, and provide role models at all levels of the educational pipeline. Success will be measured using annual monitoring of the diversity of undergraduate/Masters students applying to partner Universities for PhDs in energy. 

References 

21. Kiricorian et al. (2020), Int. J. STEM Educ. 22. Ferguson & Seery (2021), J. Chem. Educ. 23. Sealy & Singh (2010), Int. J. Manag. Rev. 24. Walkington (2015), The Higher Education Academy;