N8 Research Partnership joins calls for Government to help post-graduate researchers access childcare schemes

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The N8 Research Partnership has today joined colleagues from across the research community in calling on the Government to help postgraduate researchers access government childcare subsidies.   

In letters to Mel Stride MP (Secretary of State for Work and Pensions), Gillian Keegan MP (Secretary of State for Education) and Chloe Smith MP (Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology), the N8’s eight vice-chancellors outline why the inability of postgraduate researchers to access Government backed childcare subsidies will have a detrimental impact on diversity in postgraduate research.   

The N8 has also written to Chi Onwurah MP (Shadow Minister, Business Energy and Industrial Strategy).   

The N8’s intervention on this issue follows that of The GW4 Alliance of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter universities, which wrote to Michelle Donelan MP and Gillian Keegan MP on the importance of not discentivising parents of young children from pursuing postgraduate qualifications last month.  

The letter to Mr Stride can be read in full here.   

The letter to Ms Onwurah can be read in full here.   

The letter to Ms Keegan can be read in full here.   

The letter to Ms Smith can be read in full here