Goal 10: Reduced inequalities
Reduce inequality within and among countries
Our research
A study led by Bristol researchers has uncovered higher rates of preterm birth for Black and Asian parents than for White parents, and for parents living in more deprived areas. The research, which analysed data from 2015 to 2017 on 1.3 million births across 130 NHS Trusts in England, is the first to report on ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in preterm birth rates. Premature birth can have life-changing consequences for babies and their families. Further research is needed to better understand the reasons for the disparities, and to find ways to break these cycles of inequality.
In October 2024, the University received £11million in funding for its new VIVO Hub for Enhanced Independent Living, a collaborative partnership with the Universities of the West of England and Strathclyde, UCL, and Imperial College London. The Hub is developing VIVO smart or robotic devices that combined AI, digital monitoring technology, and design to support people with age or disability-related mobility challenges. Devices include clothing that can “put itself on”, garments that can help prevent falls, and soft exosuits to help people sit, stand and walk.
Our students
Many of our students overcome challenges to achieve their dreams. Chloe Fussell is one, having helped her disabled siblings and terminally ill mother as a young carer. Chloe’s early education was turbulent and she thought university was not an option, but she successfully graduated in Criminology in 2023, and is now training as a teacher at the University. Dr Becs Bradford is another. Having been brought up in care after her father was seriously injured in an accident, she left school at 15 with no qualifications and was told she would “amount to nothing”. But Dr Becs proved her detractors wrong, taking her first GCSEs at age 35 and graduating in Medicine at 41.
Three Bristol students were among competitors at the 2024 Paralympic Games. Sally Kidson joined the University in September 2024 to study music, and competed in the individual and pairs Boccia in Paris having made her international debut just two years ago in 2022. Michael Taylor, a current student at Bristol Medical School, competed in the Triathlon for a second time, having done so before at Tokyo 2020, and came 6th in the Men’s PTS4 category. Bristol Law graduate Dan Bethell also competed in both Paris and Tokyo in Badminton, securing Silver medals at both in the Men’s Singles SL3 class.
Our communities
Artist and performer Tom Marshman performed a new show in 2024, commissioned and developed in partnership with the University, to explore the impact of Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, which banned local authorities, particularly schools, from “promoting” homosexuality. The project’s development was supported by University academics and research assistants, and involved interviews and workshops with LGBTQ+ people. The show offers attendees a chance to hear people’s stories and learn about the legacy of Section 28.
A group of local primary school children visited the University in July 2023 as part of a new outreach initiative for pupils from less affluent areas of the city. Run by local education organisation CARGO, the day was focused around the work of African-American scientist and inventor Lonnie Johnson, who worked for NASA. The CARGO Classroom scheme was set up to teach local young people about important and often overlooked figures in black history, especially in areas of literature, maths, science and technology, and to help them get more comfortable with the idea of university and to see it as a viable option.
Adult learners can also hear about underrepresented and overlooked Black figures in history through a University evening course. Black History Revisited offers participants the chance to look at Black British lives and experiences, from the transatlantic trade in enslaved African people to the Windrush Generation and more. The 10-week course is led by expert Dr Edson Burton, historian, writer, performer, and University lecturer. As well as offering a fascinating learning experience, this short course can be a stepping stone on to further education, such as our MA in Black Humanities.
Ourselves
In late 2023, Bristol researchers launched a survey into Black academics’ experiences in education as part of the Breaking Barriers to Black Academia project. Co-funded by the EPSRC, the survey aims to identify areas of racial injustice in national research funding practices after a recent UKRI review found that Black academics are severely underrepresented among funding awardees. It is hoped that the survey will draw on the lived experience of Black academics in order to help tackle racial inequalities and improve academic equity and fairer funding opportunities.
The University hosted two conferences in 2024 focused on equality, diversity, and recognising excellence. The first, in June, was also linked to the Breaking Barriers to Black Academia project, and saw academics from across the UK coming together to explore ways to enable high quality research by supporting minoritised academic colleagues and researchers. The second, in September, was the annual meeting of the Society of Black Academics (SBA), and was attended by more than 70 Black academics from the UK and USA for talks and discussions on the challenges and opportunities for Black scholars.