Training for supervisors

Every member of a proposed or current MRC LID supervisory team (including mentors), must complete the specified EDI training courses at LSHTM, regardless of their institution or organisation.

This page provides details about MRC LID’s training requirements. Our EDI FAQs are also shared.

Institutional training requirements

Supervisory teams must meet the institutional requirements for research degree (RD) supervision at the primary supervisor’s institution (either CSG or LSHTM), both at proposed bid stage and throughout the duration of a studentship award.

This includes keeping RD supervisor training up to date (initial and refresher every three years thereafter). If you have not previously undertaken your institution’s RD supervisor training, or need to attend a refresher session, please book the necessary, suitable training at your institution at the first available opportunity.

MRC LID EDI training requirements

Required courses (as they are named in the LSHTM Talent Development Programme):
1. Overview of MRC LID DTP
2. ‘Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at LSHTM workshop’
3. ‘Challenging microaggressions and being an active bystander’
4. ‘Inclusive behaviours for PhD supervisors workshop’

NEW/INITIAL prospective supervisor training for MRC LID = Listed courses 1, 2 and 3.

REFRESHER training for MRC LID prospective supervisors = Listed courses 1 and 4.
Refresher training is due every two years following completion of new/initial mandatory training. It is only for staff who have previously undertaken courses 2 and 3 at LSHTM.

Places on each course are limited. Please book for the earliest available opportunity that you can make.

Mandatory training for all supervisory team members must be completed before projects can be considered for inclusion. Therefore, all required training must be completed by the advertised MRC LID project bid training deadline.

Other training cannot be used as an alternative to MRC LID requirements.

1. OVERVIEW

All prospective supervisors are asked to watch the recording made for DTP2 (starting 2023-24), so that you have some background and understanding of the scheme. Whilst the principles and general information remain the same, updated details and timelines specific to this project bid round will be highlighted in the relevant MRC LID Project Bid Guidance document.

MRC LID DTP2 Overview Recording 

2. EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION AT LSHTM WORKSHOP

(For a short period in 2024 this course was previously called ‘An Interactive Introduction to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at LSHTM’. If you undertook that course you do not need to ‘repeat’ it with this one.)

  • Monday 3 February 2025, 14.00-15.30 (online)
  • Wednesday 12 March 2025, 14.30-16.00 (online)
  • Wednesday 16 April 2025, 14.00-15.30 (online)
  • Wednesday 14 May 2025, 10.00-11.30 (online) – fully booked with waiting list
  • Friday 20 June 2025, 10.00-11.30 (online) – fully booked with waiting list
  • Tuesday 15 July 2025, 10.00-11.30 (online) – fully booked with waiting list
  • Tuesday 9 September 2025, 14:00-15:30 (online)
  • Friday 24th October 2025, 10:00-11:30 (online; for MRC LID supervisors only)
  • Further options will be added here as and when they are available.

If you want to book for the Sept & Oct 2025 options, and/or wish to be notified of additional courses (if and when these are available and once we have more information) please add your name to this online survey list as soon as possible to indicate your requirements and join a waiting list. This will help us to gauge demand and try to meet it within the studentship recruitment timeline.

3. CHALLENGING MICROAGGRESSIONS AND BEING AN ACTIVE BYSTANDER

  • Friday 24 January 2025, 10.00-12.30 (online)
  • Wednesday 12 March 2025, 10.00-12.30 (online)
  • Wednesday 2 July 2025, 14.00-16.30 (online) – fully booked with waiting list
  • Further options will be added here as and when they are available.

If you want to be notified of additional courses (once we have more information), please add your name to this online survey list as soon as possible to indicate your requirements and join a waiting list. This will help us to gauge demand and try to meet it within the studentship recruitment timeline.

4. INCLUSIVE BEHAVIOURS FOR PHD SUPERVISORS WORKSHOP

This course is refresher training. It is only for supervisors who have undertaken all previously named courses on/before 1 January 2024.

If you are unable to book on a refresher workshop, because all available options are full, please contact MRC LID (by email: mrclid@lshtm.ac.uk) as soon as possible to indicate your interest and join a waiting list.

FAQs for prospective supervisors

Mandatory EDI training

Why does MRC LID require EDI training?

MRC LID’s DTP1 data shows that historical recruitment of students from marginalised groups and non-traditional backgrounds was extremely low.

Therefore, as part of our DTP2 grant bid, MRC LID committed to every member of a prospective supervisory team undertaking specific, mandatory EDI training before any contact with potential applicants. More details of our strategy and commitments made can be found on the MRC LID EDI page.

How frequently must I take the EDI and supervisory training?  

MRC LID intends for all supervisors to attend/refresh their EDI training every TWO years.

If you were on absence leave (e.g., maternity or sick leave), you can discount the period of leave from the accumulation of years – for instance, a person who took maternity leave for 52-weeks in the past TWO years will have only accumulated one year (i.e. the year that they were at work) and will still have one year to go until they have accumulated two years and need to do the refresher course. Please contact MRC LID to discuss details further and advised of the aggregated time out. 

Currently, supervisors must update their institutional supervisory training every THREE years (see institutional guidance).

What EDI training must I do?

MRC LID specified training must be completed by every person on the supervisory team before any contact with prospective applicants (ie before projects are advertised in October/November for registration the following September). This requirement is the same regardless of whether the proposed supervisor is based at LSHTM or CSG or elsewhere (external to either partner institution).

Training must also be completed by the mentor of the primary supervisor if/where a mentor is required for the MRC LID scheme.  

Each potential supervisory team member must initially undertake:

  • ‘Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at LSHTM workshop’), and   
  • ‘Challenging Micro-Aggressions and Becoming an Active Bystander’

Those who have not completed this training previously should undertake it now.

Potential supervisors who have previously attended the initial required training must attend refresher training (required every TWO years). Refresher training offered is: 

  • ‘Inclusive behaviours for PhD supervisors workshop’ (previous equivalent course was ‘EDI Reflective Practice for RD Supervisors Workshop’). 
What would happen if I had taken equivalent training from other institutions? Can I use those?

Unfortunately, we don’t have the facility or time to assess equivalent training for what would be a large number of potential supervisors. To ensure that everyone has a common basis for discussing EDI and other RD training issues, we require all potential supervisors to do our in-house training.

Why can’t I do the training later?

Most EDI issues arise at the moment potential supervisors start talking with prospective students and contributing to students’ applications, which is why the training has to be done before the project can be advertised.

What if I can’t book on the training courses?

Places on each course are limited. We strongly recommend that colleagues plan to undertake required EDI training through the year, at the earliest available opportunity, and as far in advance of the call deadline as possible.

If courses are full please contact MRC LID as soon as possible to join a waiting list. This will help us to gauge demand and try to meet it within the studentship recruitment timeline.

The training offered nearest the deadline is always oversubscribed, and there are always people who miss out. Unfortunately, there is no leeway for those who wait until the final opportunity to book and then are unable to attend (for example, due to illness or last-minute teaching commitments).

Every year there are complaints and confrontations about our mandatory training. However, the DTP is unable to compromise on commitments made to UKRI.

Decolonising global health

Why does my reflection on decolonizing global health issues apply if my project is primarily based in the UK or other high-income country (HIC) settings?

We recognize that all projects are different, and the concept of coloniality may not seem applicable to a proposed project. However, potential supervisors should spend time as a team reflecting on factors that may perpetuate inequities, such as

  1. underrepresentation of minoritised groups in research,
  2. power dynamics between research participants and researchers as well as between supervisor and supervisee,
  3. sources of knowledge, who is considered an “expert” in a given topic and why, and/or
  4. engagement of study participants and the potential beneficiaries of the research in all steps of it.

These issues may apply to research conducted in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) as well as high-income countries (HICs).

Some other potential sources of information could be found at:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/aac/publication/increasing-diversity-in-research-participation/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-023-01579-9

Contact

If you have any questions about the project bids, required training, or any other aspect of the studentships please contact the MRC LID Manager by email: mrclid@lshtm.ac.uk. 

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