On a cold, grey January day earlier this year, myself and two colleagues began our working day at The Carousel – a co-working community and event space in the heart of Nottingham.
It wasn’t that we had grown weary of our own office space or work-from-home set-ups – it was a planned activity designed to physically dislocate the process of applying for a PhD from the usual context of a university campus.
It was a day that challenged our expectations. We had anticipated meeting perhaps a handful of potential PhD candidates to answer questions about the application process.
Instead, we had a full day of conversations with local people who were considering, some for the first time, the possibility that they could become involved in research that would have a positive impact on their communities.
