Apply for IMPACT
We expect that applications for IMPACT 2025 will open in the spring.
If you have any questions, please contact the EDI Centre.
IMPACT development programme video
Training overview
IMPACT stands for Imperial Positive About Cultural Talent. It is a talent development programme for staff who identify as being from a minority ethnic group.
IMPACT helps staff who wish to further their careers by developing and fine-tuning both new and existing skills and talents. IMPACT delegates utilise their different cultural approaches and set themselves SMART career objectives. Key elements of IMPACT are the endorsement of senior leaders, multicultural awareness, and the involvement of managers.
The programme attempts to address some of the issues faced by some minority ethnic staff. Statistics show that the majority of minority ethnic staff occupy lower-level positions despite possessing qualifications and skillsets equivalent to those of none minority origin. IMPACT helps individuals to take responsibility for their own careers and develop strategies to overcome barriers that they may face.
Key information
- The programme consists of seven workshops and four project group meetings, spread over several months.
- All workshops must be attended in order to successfully complete the programme and receive accreditation.
- The programme has been developed and is delivered by Imperial's EDI Centre. It is endorsed by the CPD Certification Service.
- There is no charge for Imperial staff.
- We do accept external delegates on IMPACT, at a cost of £1,750. To enquire about attending the course as an external delegate, please email the EDI Centre.
IMPACT for Managers
Alongside IMPACT, we run a programme called IMPACT for Managers. The aim is to build contemporary managerial knowledge, and a toolkit of techniques for embedding race-inclusion into everyday management practices. The course is especially recommended for those who are managing a staff member who is attending IMPACT, but it is not limited to those managers.
The sessions for the two programmes are separate - if you participate in IMPACT and your manager participates in IMPACT for Managers, you will not attend any workshops with your manager.
Whether or not your manager is attending IMPACT for Managers will not affect the outcome of your application for IMPACT.
IMPACT 2024 schedule
Workshop 1
What is IMPACT? | Culture and intersectionality | Initial goal setting
Friday 7 June 2024, 09.30 - 16.30, in person (South Kensington Campus)
By the end of this session, participants will:
- Have a clear focus when it comes to their career and development goals;
- Have awareness of different cultural competencies;
- Understand commitments involved throughout and following IMPACT.
Workshop 2
Leadership vs management | Cultural leadership
Wednesday 19 June 2024, 09.30 - 16.30, in person (South Kensington Campus)
By the end of this session, participants will:
- Recognise the difference between leadership and management;
- Understand organisational culture;
- Be aware of the impact culture has on operations, processes, and decisions;
- Know which qualities are useful in a leader.
Workshop 3
Overcoming personal barriers | Imposter Syndrome
Wednesday 26 June 2024, 09.30 - 16.30, in person (South Kensington Campus)
By the end of this session, participants will:
- Understand what imposter syndrome is and how to overcome the feeling using tools and techniques;
- Recognise their three personas and start their journey to composure;
- Have engaged in self-reflection and personal understanding to help overcome perceived personal barriers.
Workshop 4
Career pathways
Wednesday 17 July 2024, 09.30 - 16.30, in person (South Kensington Campus)
By the end of this session, participants will have:
- Learnt about how careers are changing across the world;
- Considered growth mindset and how it can enable performance and progression;
- Worked through the PROUD goal setting framework;
- Been encouraged to use a combination of learning methods to develop their careers;
- Defined which type of career moves they have made so far in their careers;
- Shared their real-life career story and listened to others;
- Set a personal action around their career development.
Workshop 5
Assertive communication
Wednesday 31 July 2024, 09.30 - 16.30, in person (South Kensington Campus)
By the end of this session participants will:
- recognise the difference between assertiveness and other behavioural styles;
- identify personal barriers, which influence their ability to communicate assertively;
- understand how using assertive communication techniques can increase their confidence when responding to challenging situations;
- have practised assertive communication in specific situations of their choice;
- create an action plan to support the achievement of their personal assertive communication goals.
Workshop 6
Presentation skills
Wednesday 7 August 2024, 09.30 - 16.30, in person (South Kensington Campus)
By the end of this session participants will:
- know how to plan and structure presentations audiences will want to hear;
- understand how to deliver confident powerful presentations in their own personal style;
- leave with practical tips that will help them present confidently, connect with their audience and cope with nerves;
- create a personal action plan for becoming a confident and successful presenter.
Workshop 7
Leadership communication skills and practising difficult conversations
Wednesday 14 August 2024, 09.30 - 16.30, in person (away day - Central London)
This will be a lively and participative session looking at effective and assertive communication skills for leaders. How do you have conversations that impact and create positive change?
By the end of the day, participants will have:
- Understood the key principles of effective influencing;
- Practised and honed their skills in leading challenging conversations;
- Received personal coaching to enhance confidence;
- Laughed!
Graduation preparation session
Tuesday 3 September 2024, 10.00 - 12.00, online (Zoom)
During this session, delegates will have the opportunity to rehearse for the graduation ceremony by having a quick practice run-through of the day, including their group project presentations. They will receive feedback and encouragement from the EDI Centre facilitators and the other delegates so that they can put the finishing touches on their presentations.
The aim is for delegates to come away from the session feeling confident and ready for the graduation ceremony.
IMPACT graduation
Wednesday 11 September 2024, 11.00 - 13.00, in person (South Kensington Campus)
At the graduation ceremony, delegates will present their group projects and receive their certificates for completing the programme. Delegates' managers, colleagues, and friends and family are all warmly welcome at this event and we invite other guests such as senior leaders, so that we can all celebrate and recognise the achievements of the IMPACT delegates together.
This is always a wonderful celebration event for IMPACT delegates to have the opportunity to meet and network with people across the College, and conclude the programme with a feeling of pride and empowerment.
More information and FAQs
- What are the key benefits of IMPACT?
- Application timeline
- How will my application be assessed?
- How much time commitment is required for the programme?
- What kind of group project will I be working on?
- Cancellation policy
- How do I apply for the programme?
- Increased confidence
- Raised career aspirations
- Improved cultural competence
- Ability to demonstrate leadership abilities through projects
- Strategies and support to enhance your careers
- Networking opportunities with other Imperial staff
- Support and reviews to help you achieve your career objectives
- Increased awareness of your personal strengths and confidence in your abilities
- Improved preparation for internal progression or promotion
- Monday 8 April: IMPACT 2024 opens for applications at 09.00
- Friday 10 May: IMPACT 2024 closes for applications at 17.00
- Monday 13 May - Friday 17 May: The EDI Centre will carefully consider all the applications
- Monday 20 May - Friday 24 May: You will receive an email informing you of the outcome of your application
- Friday 7 June: Successful applicants will join us for the first IMPACT 2024 session!
We assess each application based on the following criteria using a weighted scoring system. The more of these you meet, the more likely you are to be accepted on the programme. The criteria have been listed in order of importance.
- What you are looking to get from the IMPACT programme and what you believe your personal barriers are – we want to ensure that your development needs will be met by the programme and that the programme will align with your goals and help you address your personal barriers.
- Whether you have other leadership, management or talent qualifications – priority is given to those who do not have other such qualifications, as we want to give the opportunity to those who have not benefited from similar programmes before.
- Whether you can commit to the duration of the programme – we require delegates to attend all the sessions to complete the programme, so unless there are extenuating circumstances we do not normally accept delegates who cannot commit to the whole programme.
- How long you have been working at Imperial – priority is given to those who have been working at Imperial for longer, as we would encourage those who have only been at Imperial for a short time to get to know the organisation better and explore other training and development opportunities first.
- Your job level/grade – priority is given to staff members who are more junior, as this is a development programme intended to boost the confidence of those who may not have had the chance to develop their leadership skills.
- How your manager will be supporting you through this programme – we want to see evidence that you have considered the time commitment required for the programme and that you will be supported in managing this alongside your normal workload. If you have any concerns about this, please email the EDI Centre to discuss before you apply.
The IMPACT cohort will be divided into project groups of four or five. Each group will be given a facilitator from the EDI Centre.
Aside from attending all the workshops, the graduation preparation session, and the graduation ceremony listed in the schedule above, we also expect delegates to attend four project group meetings. These are 1-hour sessions scheduled with your project group at a time that works for all of you.
As a group, you are expected to design a project and deliver a 10-minute presentation about it at the graduation ceremony. Project tasks will be split up evenly between the group to reduce the impact on workload for all.
The project timeline is as follows:
- Monday 10 June - Friday 14 June: Have your first project group meeting and decide on your project idea
- Monday 17 June - Tuesday 20 August: Have three more project group meetings and work on your group project in your own time
- Wednesday 21 August: Hand in the first draft of your group project presentation slides
- Wednesday 4 September: Practise delivering this presentation as a group at the graduation preparation session and receive feedback from the EDI Centre facilitators and from the other delegates to help you put the finishing touches on your presentation
- Monday 9 September: Hand in the final version of your group project presentation slides
- Wednesday 11 September: Present your group project at the graduation ceremony
Your group project should focus on a way of utilising Imperial Values as a tool to address the potential/perceived barriers that underrepresented staff face in your departments/areas.
When looking at structuring the project, we are looking for clear outputs. We do not expect the project to be implemented by the end of the programme, but it should be able to be taken up post-IMPACT. Your 10-minute group presentation at the graduation should outline the following key points:
- Defining the project using SMART objectives (see below)
- Proposed sponsors to carry the project forward after IMPACT
- Opportunities & risks
- Deliverables
To set a SMART objective for your project we expect for it to show the following:
- Specific – Who, what, where, which. Clearly define the project and what you hope to achieve.
- Measurable – From what, to what. How can you track or measure the success of the project?
- Achievable – How. Is it reasonable enough to be able to accomplish?
- Relevant – Why. How will this project meet the needs of the College/department?
- Time-bound – When. Can this be completed beyond the IMPACT programme?
Those enrolling on IMPACT are expected to attend all the sessions of the programme.
If you cannot attend any session of the programme, you must email the EDI Centre as soon as possible.
Cancellation fees do apply:
- If a cancellation is made less than ten working days before the programme start date, a cancellation fee of £100 will be levied.
- If you miss one session as a delegate, a £50 charge will be levied, but you can stay on the course and complete the other sessions.
- If you miss more than one session, a £150 charge will be levied. You will be taken off the programme, and will have to re-enrol next year unless agreed with the course organiser.
Cancellation fees do not apply in cases of extenuating circumstances.
Please fill out the IMPACT application form by 17.00 on Friday 10 May. Late applications will not be considered.
Need to cancel your training booking?
If a cancellation is made less than 5 working days before a training course, or if you fail to attend the full session, a charge will be levied. Please read Imperial's terms and conditions for internal training.
Some courses have specific cancellation policies that are detailed on their individual webpages.
