Fostering Academic Inclusion and Representation: Enhancing Research Capacity for Black Nursing Academics in UK Universities—A Qualitative Multi‐Study Protocol

Background

Nursing as a profession remains underrepresented in research leadership, funding success and scholarly authorship globally, which limits its influence on policy and practice. Within this broader context, racially minoritised nursing academics, including Black academics, face additional inequities that further hinder their visibility and progression. Evidence from the United States, Canada and Australia highlights persistent barriers to research careers and leadership opportunities for Black nurses. In the United Kingdom, these disparities are particularly evident: Black nursing academics face barriers to conducting research while in the wider National Health Service workforce, Black nurses are twice less likely than their White counterparts to be promoted. Together, these patterns constrain career progression and hinder the development of culturally competent healthcare education and practice.
Aim

To explore the barriers to conducting research among Black nursing academics working in UK universities that are not traditionally research intensive, and to co‐create pragmatic, theory‐informed recommendations for enabling supportive and equitable research environments.
Design

A qualitative multi‐study design underpinned by Intersectionality Theory and The Silences Framework.
Methods

Two work packages are proposed. Work Package 1 will use semi‐structured interviews to explore the experiences and barriers of conducting research among up to 15 Black nursing academics based at UK universities that are not research‐intensive. Work Package 2 will adopt a modified Delphi methodology, engaging key collaborators in two rounds of online codesign workshops. Findings from Work Package 1 will inform structured discussions in which collaborators will develop theory‐informed, pragmatic recommendations to strengthen research capacity and engagement among Black nursing academics.
Conclusion

This study will address the persistent underrepresentation of Black nursing academics in research. While grounded in the UK, the anticipated outputs will have wider applicability, informing policy, shaping institutional strategies and guiding future research priorities across diverse academic and healthcare systems worldwide.