The Higher Education Authority (HEA) in Ireland, has announced that it has commissioned Applied Inspiration to deliver the half-point review for its 2022-2028 National Plan for Equity of Access, Participation and Success in Higher Education.
Welcoming the announcement, Applied Inspiration’s Executive Director, Emma Thomas said, "This is a fantastic achievement for Applied Inspiration and a great step forward for the company. The goals of the Plan align perfectly with our mission to become a true hub for innovation in access and participation, supporting small and specialist institutions in making meaningful, lasting change in this part of the higher education sector. We would like to thank the HEA for this opportunity to collaborate on the review of progress against this important national strategy."
Spanning between 2022-2028, this is the fourth iteration of the National Access Plan, which has been working on creating a more diverse third level sector in Ireland. Since 2005, it has been aiming to support inclusivity and diversity in the wider student body, address the wider challenges students from underrepresented groups face, and deliver sustainable progress. This version of the Plan places a particularly strong emphasis on supporting students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, students with disabilities and those from the Irish Traveller and Roma communities.
The review produced by Applied Inspiration will mark the halfway point of the Plan’s implementation. Launching on Wednesday 14th May 2025 at the annual National Access Forum, the review will run for six months, concluding in November 2025.
It will be guided by a dynamic theory of change approach and include both a review of activities carried out so far and individual consultations with stakeholders. This dual approach will inform the development and dissemination of a set of evidence-based recommendations. It will also support the collaborative design of an impact pathway to help maximise the Plan’s success over the 2025–2028 period.
Professor Stella Jones-Devitt, Director of Applied Inspiration’s SEER Service and the principal investigator for the review expressed her enthusiasm for the project:
“We are delighted to have secured the bid to deliver the mid-term progress review, which will help ensure the Plan meets its ambitious goals of fostering a more inclusive and diverse higher education sector in Ireland.”
Co-investigator and Applied Inspiration’s Head of Development and Innovation, Dr Antony Aleksiev, added:
“Collaboration is at the heart of Applied Inspiration’s work, particularly through our SEER Membership service. I’m very excited to work in partnership with the HEA and its stakeholders to deliver this review.”
To learn more about the HEA , please visit their website.