WATCH: “Inspiring… you’re creating what’s next.”
25 Mar 2026
Charlene Gallery tells Duncan Ivison about breaking barriers for Black female academics in a project funded by our Enhancing Research Culture project.
“I was part of the pilot cohort for the 100 Black female professor programme – a great programme that was completely transformative to my career,” says Charlene Gallery, a Reader in Digital Product Development and a Senior Line Manager within the Department of Materials.
“But what I felt was missing from that programme – and, as I say, it was a fantastic initiative – but once it ends, what’s next?”
What’s next is Breaking Barriers: Fostering Interdisciplinary Research Amongst Black Female Academics – a project led by Charlene and Dr Omodunni Adeniyi, Deputy Associate Programme Director for Student Experience for Medical Education. It is one of seven projects supported by the University’s Enhancing Research Culture Fund.
Charlene and Omodunni are:
- building a visible network of Black heritage female researchers and academics
- creating a sense of psychological safety
- establishing stronger routes into interdisciplinary collaboration and research leadership that haven't always been attainable
- providing microgrants to help promising interdisciplinary ideas to grow into more substantial research activity
With strong stakeholder support within and outside our University, the project also provides tailored support to help participants sharpen their research skills, build meaningful networks, and ultimately strengthen funding readiness.
And while the project is shaped around the unique experiences of Black female academics, the wider ambition is to show how more equitable access to opportunity can strengthen research culture as a whole.
“The University's support for Charlene and me to engage in external initiatives, such as the 100 BWPN programme, fostered the development of an internal, interdisciplinary and innovative project like Breaking Barriers as a next step toward bridging the gap between a great experience and a sustainable academic ecosystem,” explains Dunni.
Charlene adds: “Our project is a living example of our Manchester 2035 aim to make interdisciplinary collaboration central to its research ambitions.”
As our President and Vice-Chancellor, Duncan Ivison commented when he discussed Charlene’s project in his vlog about our research culture here at Manchester, their work is fantastic, inspiring – and providing researchers with the answer to “what’s next”.
Get involved
To find out more about the project, please email Charlene and Dunni direct.
Further information
This project was one of seven funded following the launch of the University’s Research Culture and Environment framework.
The University’s research culture is defined as the way that we collaborate, communicate, and interact with each other; the behaviours, attitudes, and values that shape how our research is developed, conducted, and used; and the mechanisms by which we support research and recognise and reward that work. The funded projects align to one of the University’s four research culture themes:
- Supporting diverse and rewarding careers
- Enabling open and impactful research
- Upholding the highest levels of responsible and ethical research
- Building collaboration and interdisciplinarity.
Associate Vice-President for Research, Professor Melissa Westwood said: “The applications received in response to this call showed a real breadth and diversity of ideas to help shape our research culture and demonstrated the passion and innovation of colleagues across our University.
“The seven funded projects address a range of challenges, and we are excited to see the impact they will have in such important areas of our research culture.”
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