It’s that time again! Every five years, the Daphne Jackson Trust carries out a comprehensive survey of our former fellows. This survey is an essential tool, giving us valuable insight into the fellowship experience. We learn about the needs of our fellows and their achievements after the completion of their fellowship. It also helps us gather impact statistics and share just how incredible Daphne Jackson Fellows truly are.
The survey covers every stage of our fellows’ careers. In our last survey, which was delayed until 2021 due to Covid, we asked fellows about their early research work, the reasons for and length of their career break, and what came next. They told us about the research they produced, including papers and conference presentations, and their personal and professional development, such as rebuilding their skills through retraining opportunities. Fellows also shared what life looked like after the fellowship, including returning to academia or industry, and the flexibility they maintained in future roles.
This survey is hugely important for us at the Daphne Jackson Trust. It tells us what aspects of the fellowship our fellows value most and how we can continue to shape and improve our support. In our 2021 survey, 9 out of 10 fellows said that the support of the Trust helped boost their confidence, highlighting just how vital our fellowship advisors are. Fellows also told us how important a third year of funding can be in finishing research projects and securing their next role. We listened and increased our support to extend as many fellowships as possible to three years.
The survey also gives us the data we need to demonstrate the powerful, lasting impact of the Daphne Jackson Trust, both on individual careers and the wider research landscape. 9 out of 10 fellows stayed in research or teaching for at least five years after their fellowship, and on average, for every £1 invested in our fellows they generate £2 in future research funding. Our fellows have gone on to become industry leaders, CEOs, and academics, including 11 professors. At the time of the last survey we’d collectively saved over 1250 years of research experience by getting fellows back into research, a number that has definitely increased since then!
You can find the full details in our 2021 Impact Report, which highlights just how transformative our fellowships are, here:
The fellows’ survey helps us showcase the success of our amazing alumni, and in turn, find new funders so we can continue supporting talented research returners.
In 2025, we’re back to our regular five-year cycle—and this time, we’re making a few tweaks to better reflect the experiences of fellows from Arts and Humanities backgrounds, as well as those in STEM.
If you’re a former fellow, we’d love to hear from you. Please take a moment to fill in the survey and help us keep doing what we do best!
