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To help carry out its aims, the LGBTQ+ Equality Implementation Group (LEIG) has been allocated funding that can be awarded for activities or research projects.
LEIG Fund
UCL staff and students who would like to run LGBTQ+ inclusion activities or research projects are eligible to apply to the LEIG Fund. Applicants are not required to identify as a member of the LGTBQ+ community; however, their proposal must have a clear aim that aligns and contributes to the visions outlined in the LEIG’s Terms of Reference, particularly work that supports trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming members of UCL.
As the LEIG Fund is finite, applicants should use this fund to apply for innovative, impactful, and wide-reaching projects which would be otherwise unfeasible, as opposed to business as usual (i.e. training or regular departmental activity).
Information for student applicants
Students who wish to apply to the fund are encouraged to contact Jayne Flowers (su.equity-inclusion-unit@ucl.ac.uk) in the Students’ Union for support in the application process to ensure all the required information is provided before the application is assessed by the LEIG.
Any successful allocation of funds to students will be allocated to the Students’ Union, who will forward it on accordingly. Submissions from SU Groups (clubs, socs, reps and networks) will be considered providing the details of a student lead are provided for ease of contact.
Information for all applicants (students and staff)
All applications must detail how the positive impact of the proposed activity will be measured, as well as any formal reporting mechanisms that will be in place. Applicants can apply for a grant of up to £5,000. Applicants who applied in the first round of funding are welcome to re-apply, incorporating the feedback given by LEIG on their application.
Priority will be given to applications that have a visible, cross-institutional reach.
Additionally, the LEIG will assess and consider proposals that support one or more of the three following priorities:
- Intersectional activities (i.e. those that consider how LGBTQ+ identities interact with issues such as disability, race, gender, class etc.).
- Projects that address LGBTQ+ equity challenges in new ways.
- Activities / projects to 'level up' and ensure that good practice is celebrated and replicated across UCL.
Applications must be received by 19 May 2023.
Guidance for creating a strong application:
- Use clear, concise language and avoid academic jargon. Strong applications should use plain English and make their case succinctly.
- Focus on the impact of the project. What change will be brought about by your project and how will you measure it?
- Consider how your project could be upscaled to reach and benefit as many members of the LGBTQ+ (and wider university) community as possible.
Once funding has been allocated:
- Future rounds of funding may be available, dependant on interest and available funds.
- It is possible to re-apply for further funding; however, the panel will be looking for continued visible impact.
- Successful applicants will be asked by the LEIG to produce a short impact report to be circulated to the wider UCL community via the EDI newsletter.
If you have any questions or need further guidance in making an application, please contact leig@ucl.ac.uk.
Other sources of support
Please note that the LEIG fund is specifically for LGBTQ+ inclusion activities and local institutional research. Students experiencing financial hardship are advised to seek alternative assistance listed on the UCL Financial Assistance Funds webpage.
Students seeking financial assistance to purchase gender affirming products and support should access the Gender Expression Fund
LEIG-Funded Project Briefs
In 2023, LEIG awarded funding to 8 projects pioneered by staff and students at UCL:
- Blueprints of Hope: Celebrating LGBTQ+ London
An exhibition entitled Blueprints of Hope: Celebrating LGBTQ+ London has been displayed in the Octagon Gallery from 1 March - 18 August 2023.
Following UCL Urban Lab research which demonstrated a 58% drop in London’s LGBTQ+ venues between 2006, this exhibition explores the importance of queer spaces in London throughout history and in present day.The exhibition was created in partnership with a range of archives, artists, and organisations, such as Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants, Rebel Dykes Archive, Nina Wakeford, and more.
There have also been various events linked to the exhibition. For a full list of contributors and events, see the Blueprints of Hope webpage.
LEIG funding has allowed the exhibition to publicly celebrate queer culture at UCL and raise widespread awareness of issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community.- Enhancing Queer Pedagogy at UCL
In 2022, Dr Cathy Elliott and Jesper Hansen ran a four-session course for 20 educators called Queer Pedagogy via the UCL Arena Centre. The course was oversubscribed and garnered excellent feedback from attendees.
The course was a productive space for attendees to explore how to embed Queer Pedagogy into teaching practice and allowed educators to develop a sense of community, sharing ideas about how pedagogy can be informed by queer theory.
Many participants discussed impactful changes they’ve made to their practice following the course, such as reviewing reading lists, activities, and classroom practices to promote inclusion.
This project will enable the Queer Pedagogy facilitators to conduct research and interview the participants to gather data about the impact of the course and any obstacles educators have faced when implementing inclusive practices. This analysis will allow the Queer Pedagogy course to be improved, offering further support to educators to overcome challenges. It will also enable the Arena Centre to develop materials including a micro-CPD and online resources that will empower all staff at UCL to create a more inclusive teaching and working environment for all.
- Promoting and expanding the British Sign Language LGBTQ+ glossary
This 6-month project will be led by 4 LGBTQ+ members of staff at UCL in collaboration with the charity Deaf Rainbow UK. The project will promote the current British Sign Language (BSL) glossary for LGBTQ+ terminology and support the development of new terms that do not currently exist in BSL.
This will give the Deaf community, both at UCL and beyond, more opportunities to communicate effectively and inclusively about a range of LGBTQ+ issues.
The creation of new agreed signs will be guided by input from the Deaf community across various backgrounds and demographics. Meetings to gather this feedback will be led by Dr Kate Rowley, Dr Patrick Rosenburg, Calum Medlock and Dr Tyron Woolfe from DCAL.
This project will raise awareness about the intersection of Deaf and LGBTQ+ identities and remind all at UCL of the importance of intersectionality.
An event introducing the new LGBTQ+ BSL glossary will welcome UCL staff, students and other contributors to participate in a Deaf-Drag-Bingo event where numbers will be replaced by language signs.
For more information about this project, you can view the Deaf Rainbow UK website.
- Queer spaces – a tour of the past and exploration of the future
Dr Lo Marshall from B. Queer, the LGBTQIA+ network for The Bartlett, Faculty of the Built Environment, will lead on a twofold project to promote intersectional approaches to LGBTQIA+ inclusivity at UCL and beyond.
The first part of this project is a queer tour of Bloomsbury for UCL staff and students, which will build and expand upon the work of Prof Bob Mills’ Hide and Seek tour. The tours will take place in October 2023 am allow staff and students to network, while learning about how sexuality, gender, race, and class animate Bloomsbury's historical landscape. The tour would also produce online resources for people who wish to take a self-guided tour, thus increasing the reach and accessibility of these learning resources.
The second part of the project is a community-building ‘Think-In’ which will bring together 50 UCL students, staff, and community professionals to discuss how gender and sexual diversity intersect with neurodiversity, disability, race, age class, and faith within community spaces in London.
The findings from this Think-In will be summarised in resources accessible to all. The report will provide insights into themes such as spatial designs, funding, policies, and practices, all of which will provide insights into how community spaces at UCL and beyond can be as inclusive as possible.
- The voices and experiences of trans students at UCL
This proposal has been developed by members of staff, a postgraduate trans student, a trans UCL alumna, and in consultation with the Students’ Union Equity and Inclusion Officer.
A key output of this project is a video to provide valuable insights into the experience of trans students at UCL throughout all stages of the student lifecycle. The video will signpost resources that trans students can access for support (such as the Students’ Union, the Gender Expression Fund, and Student Support and Wellbeing), highlight opportunities for UCL staff and students to advocate for trans inclusion, as well as outline how UCL could provide further support to its trans community.
The video will not only be a vital resource for trans students seeking guidance, and perhaps a sense of community, but will also be relevant to staff who facilitate teaching and student inductions, departmental EDI leads, and others who support student wellbeing.
The video will showcase the voices and views of trans students and allies, and will be a useful resource for use across UCL.
- Trans studies reading group
A PhD student is running a reading group for trans studies open to all staff and students who are interested in learning more about this topic. Literature ranges from academic non-fiction to fiction.
The group has provided an opportunity for staff and students to network, learn, and foster a sense of community and belonging. This has particularly helped staff who work within the space of trans studies and have found themselves isolated in their fields.
Victoria plans to expand this reading group by increasing membership, raising its profile by engaging with the UCL Trans Network, and providing catering for reading groups and a research lunch.
- UCL and CRIPtic Arts – research workshops and performance at the Bloomsbury Theatre
This proposal is a collaboration between the UCL Anthropology department’s QueerAnth network, CRIPtic Arts (a leading disability arts organisation), and UCL's Centre for Health Humanities. This project encompasses a series of performance research workshops and a final performance open to all at the Bloomsbury Theatre which will showcase the artistic work of queer deaf and disabled artists within the UCL community.
The workshop will draw upon the expertise of Jamie Hale (UCL Masters’ student and founder of CRIPtic arts) and Dr Leah Sidi (Co-director for the Centre of Health Humanities). This will allow participants to reflect on their experiences of ableism and queerphobia, and facilitate the co-creation of a report into queer-disabled experiences at UCL.
The final performance at the Bloomsbury Theatre will take place on 3 February 2024 and will celebrate the community’s creative and artistic work, giving a platform to marginalised groups at UCL and opening up a larger institutional conversation about disability and its intersection with LGBTQ+ issues at UCL.
- Exploring the barriers faced by LGBTQ+ students in volunteering
The Volunteering Unit in the Students’ Union has been awarded funding to research the experience of LGBTQ+ students in the context of volunteering. This project will seek to understand the barriers preventing LGBTQ+ students from volunteering at UCL.
The project will be led by Students’ Union staff, a PhD researcher who will lead on a survey and analysis, and a professional Facilitator who will deliver a focus group using an Open Spaces approach. A detailed report will be written by the PhD researcher, highlighting data and insights from the survey and the focus groups.
In tandem with this research, the SU are planning to run a range of volunteering awareness talks to LGBTQ+ students to encourage participation in the research and raise awareness of the SU’s support for LGBTQ+ students.
This report will champion the student voice and allow the Students’ Union to create a more inclusive volunteering offering for LGBTQ+ students.
- Trans-inclusivity Seminar Series
This talk is part of a multi-month series that started from 14th February continuing until June 2024 with a variety of talks given by leading academics and current researchers in trans-inclusive research and study. It is no coincidence that the series started during LGBT+ history month - as the Institute of Education (IOE), UCL's Faculty of Education and Society, looks to celebrate trans-inclusivity with UCL's own academics along with our invited external speakers. Each event will be advertised in good time but separately when practical arrangements have been fully made for each. There will be enough time for participants - within and outside the university to sign up to the in-person event - or the livestream which will be available for each public speaking event.