Athena SWAN is a national scheme to promote women's careers in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM). As a founder member and institutional award holder, the University is actively engaged in promoting the principles of the Athena SWAN Charter and encourages eligible Departments to participate in this important initiative. Nationally, there are over 90 member institutions, including 23 of the 24 Russell Group Universities.
The Department of Chemistry holds an Athena SWAN silver award and has an Athena SWAN working group tasked with identifying and driving a Departmental action plan. As a result, and within 18 months of its first submission, the Department has made significant progress in its provision for researchers working through its action and targeting the following key priorities:
- Improve the proportion of women Undergraduate and Post Graduate Students
- Support the recruitment, retention and promotion of female staff
- Provide a culture where everyone can succeed
This includes a revised staff review and development scheme, a new mentoring scheme for contract research staff and the introduction of leavers’ questionnaires to help us celebrate and improve. You can find out more about the departmental action plan by visiting the Department’s Athena SWAN pages.