In collaboration with the universities of Lincoln and Lancaster and specialist consultant Sheila Kanani, the project aims to explore experiences and impacts of bullying and harassment, and will work with students to co-design recommendations and interventions to tackle these issues.

It is made possible by funding from the Office for Students' (OfS) Equality in Higher Education Innovation Fund, which supports new ideas and innovation in delivering equality of opportunity. 

The project will undertake focus groups, interviews and group concept mapping with students and stakeholders, to explore the diversity of experience of bullying and harassment, and understand its perceived impacts on mental health, wellbeing and student success indicators.

It will then work with students to co-design clear, holistic recommendations to prevent, tackle and improve support, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. This will include piloting interventions and developing guidance, online resources and evaluation tools to measure impact. It will also deliver a sector-wide train-the-trainer programme, aiming to empower institutions across the sector to engage with these recommendations and resources.

Principal Investigator and Faculty Director of Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and People (Science) Rachel Van Krimpen said: “Our project team will collaborate to explore bullying and harassment within the specific cultural contexts of different STEMM disciplines and levels of study. This understanding will support us in developing recommendations and resources for the most effective approaches to combating bullying and harassment. We look forward to engaging widely with students and our colleagues who support them to bring this programme of work to life.”

To find out more about the project, contact Rachel Van Krimpen.