Aurora

Aurora is a leadership development programme created to help address the under-representation of women in senior roles in higher education.

Participating in Aurora provides delegates with the opportunity to explore the nature of leadership and what it means to them, learn about the importance of visibility and ‘voice’, and consider the leadership skill set they already have. It introduces organisational culture and politics, ways of working within them and the importance of developing networks and establishing lasting mutually supportive connections. It looks at whether there are ‘gendered’ ways of leading, identifies personal underlying values and principles, and explores adaptive leadership skills.

Aurora is designed and facilitated by Advance HE. The University of Leeds has been an active member from the beginning, supporting over 390 participants in their leadership career trajectory.

Aurora is a leadership development programme for women (including non-binary and transgender colleagues) in grade 6-8 roles who are committed to developing and enhancing their career. The programme is designed for the early stages of leadership development for aspiring and new leaders.

Aurora is a “leadership ignition journey, inspiring women to aspire and achieve leadership positions within higher education.”

Outcomes for participants include:

• Increased motivation to seek out leadership roles.
• Developing the social and people skills needed for leadership roles.
• Proactive engagement in career management.

Read more about the impact of Aurora: Onwards and Upwards? Tracking women’s work experiences in higher education Year 5 report

Aurora is primarily delivered through online workshops, with a one-day in person conference toward the end of the programme. The conference takes place in Midlands or North of England.

Aurora also includes two days of peer coaching groups, 1:1 support from a mentor throughout the programme, and a set of support sessions provided by the University of Leeds.

Aurora comprises of:

• Welcome and Introduction Webinar
• Workshop 1: Identity, Impact and Voice
• Workshop 2: Core Leadership
• Action Learning Set 1
• Workshop 3: Politics and Influence
• Workshop 4: Adaptive Leadership
• In-person conference: Your Future in HE
• Action Learning Set 2

Read more on Advance HE’s About Aurora page.

University of Leeds offers places on one of two cohorts starting between January and March each year.

Cohort dates are listed below (all dates are 2027). Applicants will be asked to select their preferred cohort on application.

• Cohort 1: 21 January, 28 January, 5 March, 18 March, 12 April, 11 May, TBC 11 June (face to face), 23 June
• Cohort 2: 15 January, 22 January, 23 February, 23 March, 21 April, 26 May, TBC 25 June (face to face), 9 July

Briefing events

We held two online briefing events in May 2026 to help colleagues and line managers learn more about Aurora. These short sessions focus on what to expect from the programme, how to apply, what to consider before applying and how line managers can support colleagues attending Aurora. They close with a Q&A with our University's Aurora Champions – Maria Stopyra and Anna Jarvis.

Aurora experiences shared on OD&PL’s Developing People Podcast

In this episode, Sarah Budello speaks with Maria Stopyra and Dr Hema Viswambharan about the Aurora programme. They discuss how Aurora is tackling the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles in Higher Education through supporting women to find their voice, connect with a mutually supportive network and tackle the challenges women face in the workplace.

To apply, colleagues nominate themselves for a place via the application form below. Aurora is always a very popular programme with limited places available so applications may close early if places are filled - we will let colleagues know via this webpage if this happens.

Application guidance and forms

Before applying, you can read our Aurora guidance document to find out more about the programme and completing your application. Managers will also need to complete a Line Management Endorsement Form (Please download document before completing). Important Note: The MS Teams form does not allow you to save progress. The guidance document outlines all the information you will need to complete your application so that you can draft your answers in advance.

Course fees

Fees for 2026/27 fees are £1,075.  OD&PL covers 40% (£430) of the programme fees, with the remaining 60% (£645) being met by the applicant's work area. We cannot part-fund every available place on Aurora however, many areas choose to fully fund additional places. Please discuss this with your line manager and find out whether your department is happy to fully or part-fund your place on Aurora. You will also need to provide a budget account code with your application for the purpose of cross-charging. All travel costs to be covered by the participant's area of work. More details about the funding of the programme are available in our Aurora guidance document.

Application review process

After applications are reviewed by a University-wide panel, confirmation of places will be communicated by mid September 2026. We welcome applications from all areas of the university, including academic, professional services and technicians. We particularly welcome applications from groups that are under-represented in leadership positions at the University including, but not limited to, Black, Asian, people who belong to a minority ethnic community; people who identify as LGBT+; and disabled people.

Read about the Aurora Delivery Team on Advance HE’s website. Events and sessions for Aurora participants at University of Leeds are facilitated by Maria Stopyra, Organisational Learning Partner.

The University of Leeds has a thriving Aurora Alumnae Network supported by OD&PL and Women at Leeds Network. The network supports ongoing networking, peer support, and leadership and career development after the Aurora programme. If you are interested in Aurora and would like to find out who our Aurora Alumnae are, you can find many of them on our Aurora Alumnae directory page.

If you have any questions about this programme, please email [email protected].