The White Rose University Consortium will have three separate voices at this year’s International Research Culture Conference (IRCC26), reflecting the breadth of expertise our wider team brings to the national conversation on research culture.

IRCC26 is a global gathering dedicated to improving research culture. This year’s theme, Collaboration for Lasting Change, places partnership, co-creation, and collective action at the centre of the conversation. 

Across two days, Monday 21st September (virtual) and Wednesday 23rd September (in-person), participants will explore how working together across disciplines, institutions and systems can build research cultures we are proud of.

White Rose’s presence spans three distinct contributions: a facilitated session on recognition and reward, a panel and workshop on racial equity in research environments, and a poster presentation on our sector-first Established Researchers Hub.

Tackling racial inequality in research environments

Dr Karisha George is a Senior Lecturer at the University of York and Project Lead for the White Rose Demystifying Academia development programme.

Karisha will be taking part in both a high-profile panel and a facilitated workshop on racial equity in research.

In “Tackling Racial Inequality in Research Environments: What Works, and What’s Next?”, chaired by Dr Anil Awesti (University of Warwick), Karisha joins Professor Etlyn Kenny (University of Birmingham), Nic Farmer (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology) and Fiona McClement (University of Edinburgh) to share where the sector’s focus needs to move next in the pursuit of maximum collective impact.

Karisha will also co-chair “Advancing Racial Equity in Research Environments” alongside Vicky Strudwick, supported by two prominent facilitators Aaron Andrews and Abimbola Ayorinde. Drawing on pilot interventions and emerging frameworks for addressing racial inequity, the session explores the structural, cultural and procedural barriers that can limit progress, and the gaps in existing policies and institutional approaches. 

Through facilitated discussion and collaborative problem-solving, participants will co-create a practical action plan outlining recommendations, responsibilities, and next steps to accelerate collective progress toward more equitable and inclusive research cultures.

“Our research has shown that in the EDI hierarchy, racial equity takes the lowest place, with labels of ‘problematic’ and ‘biased’ often attached to advocating for race. However, while addressing racial inequities is a complex and demanding endeavour, continuing on in this work is entirely non-negotiable. In fact, it is now far more important than ever to regroup and consider ways in which the effectiveness of our efforts can be maximised, for instance, through shared sector-wide communities of practice that offer support and advocacy groups that champion the integration of research-based recommendations – both of which have been integrated into the Demystifying academia programme,” says Dr Karisha George.

“This topic is particularly important to me given the subtle nature through which racial inequity persists within research environments, with its ‘hiddenness’ serving to undermine sector-wide change. I look forward to empowering others by combining our collective lived and learned experiences to co-champion further progress in this field” 

Making the invisible visible: reward and recognition

Alys Kay is a research culture coach and consultant and project co-lead for the White Rose ‘Supporting researchers returning from parental leave‘ project.

Alys joins Dawn Cremonese, Shareefa Fadhel, Rika Nair, Louise Saul and Julia Schoonover to lead “Making the Invisible Visible: Developing Reward and Recognition for Good Research Culture”.

Positive research environments depend on many contributions that often go unseen or under-recognised within current research systems. The session opens with a facilitated discussion and short panel bringing together diverse perspectives on recognition in research, spotlighting contributors at the interface of academia and society, including independent researchers, community partners, research professionals and research methodologists.

“We’re getting better at seeing the people and contributions that research has historically overlooked. The next challenge is turning that recognition into change that lasts. I’m looking forward to exploring what we can design differently, how we know it’s working, and what it takes to make good practice stick,” says Alys Kay. 

Established Researchers Hub

Dr Karen Hinxman is head of the White Rose University Consortium. 

Karen will represent the Consortium with a poster presentation showcasing the White Rose Established Researchers Hub.

Established researchers, often described as mid-career, lead teams, win grants, shape disciplinary direction and mentor the next generation, yet remain among the least well-supported groups in higher education when it comes to tailored professional development. 

To tackle this, the Hub brings together curated resources tailored to support established and mid-career researchers navigating the evolving responsibilities and expectations that emerge beyond early career stages.

The Hub features three core types of content: curated resources organised by persona and topic, peer discussion guides that let small groups explore common challenges without an expert facilitator, and a collection of honest, grounded career stories from established researchers reflecting on the decisions they made, the trade-offs they navigated, and what they would tell their younger selves.

The Hub is underpinned by original research led by Monica Busse-Morris, Steve Joy and Tracey Stead, developed in collaboration with Amy Shaw and the University of Sheffield’s Established Researcher Forum. 

Drawing on 27 interviews, two focus groups and a cross-institutional review, the project identifies established researchers as occupying a “squeezed middle,” requiring nuanced, practical, time-efficient support.

“Established researchers play a pivotal role in shaping research culture, leading teams and developing the next generation of talent, yet support for this career stage has often been overlooked. Drawing on our research and collaboration across the White Rose partner universities and the wider sector, the Established Researchers Hub provides practical, accessible resources designed to help researchers navigate the opportunities and challenges of mid-career academic leadership”

A team effort

These contributions reflect the breadth of thinking, expertise and lived experience that our wider team brings to building better research cultures across Yorkshire and beyond.

Find out more about the International Research Culture Conference 2026.

Explore the White Rose Established Researchers Hub.