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Significant work is underway to address equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) across UCL鈥檚 Faculty of Life Sciences. These are just some of the schemes and initiatives in place, or currently being w
Breaking down career development barriers
Childcare and caring costs听can听often听be听a barrier for early career researchers听to stay in academia, particularly women.听So听we鈥檙e听piloting听a supplement to help people with childcare and other dependant costs, to alleviate some of this financial burden.听We鈥檙e looking at other ways to help, too. For example, by听setting up听career and wellbeing mentors听who can offer听young听researchers听the听support and advice听needed听to听balance a听busy听research career with other demands, and听progress听in their careers.听
We鈥檙e introducing a Substitute听PrincipaI听Investigator (PI)听programme for staff who take parental leave,听where a senior postdoctoral fellow听would听cover for the member of staff on leave, as 鈥榓cting head鈥� of the lab.听The hope is that听this will reduce the pressure female PIs听may听feel in returning to work early due to PI responsibilities, and also encourage male PIs to take up shared PI leave for longer.听听
Our job ads have听now听been amended to include an optional career break section.听This means听candidates听can听share the reasons for career breaks听such as parental leave or caring听responsibilities, if听they wish. This information听allows听our recruitment panels to consider personal circumstances that might not be visible on a CV or list of publications, with the aim of reducing discrimination in academia related to time off work, particularly for women.听
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Improving diversity听in leadership
Our work to improve gender diversity and听progression has formed the basis of our recent Athena听SWAN听applications.听We currently have five awards (one Gold, and four Bronze).听Athena听SWAN听continues to be an important听focus听for us,听as it鈥檚听helping us to听tackle听a common problem in STEM: a lack of gender diversity in top academic positions, and the academic leaky pipeline.听Read more about our work on Athena Swan.
UCL now has the highest female to male ratio of the top 20 universities in the world for Biological Sciences听(57:43) (Times World Rankings 2021). We鈥檝e听increased听the visibility of female role models, too, with听Sainsbury听Wellcome听Centre听now averaging听50% female听speakers and Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit听going听from 14% female speakers in 2017 to 37% in 2021.听Sainsbury Wellcome Centre has appointed two female group leads in the last two rounds. The听FLS Anne McLaren Lecture celebrating Women in Science听is an annual event which this year will be delivered听by听Professor Ijeoma F. Uchegbu on 24 April 2024.
Increasing access to education听for all听
As a university, and Faculty, we听want听to encourage students from all backgrounds to consider听studying听science听with us, including those who may not have considered it before.听Taster days and events for primary school children听have听led to听an increased uptake听in applications from different socio-economic groups, for programmes such as Pharmacy.听听
Mentoring听at听secondary school听level,听through听programmes such as In2Science, the Social Mobility Foundation,听is helping听increase听interest听too听鈥� giving听young people from听low income听backgrounds听the chance to explore science education and where it could lead听to as a career.听
We鈥檙e听also听opening听up opportunities for African and international students to learn cutting edge techniques in computational neuroscience.听The Imbizo Computational Neuroscience Summer School,听co-founded by one of GCNU鈥檚 faculty, and a GCNU PhD student, provides educational opportunities for BAME students who don鈥檛听have the tools or听resources听to听enter this field.听
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Closing the awarding gap听
Across higher education, universities are still failing to award BAME听students听good degrees in the same ratio as they do white students,听despite these students听coming to听university with equal skills and qualifications. One of our key听actions听here听has been听to听develop听a new training resource for听new听first听years, to听help alleviate听this disparity.听Before arriving at 皇家华人 and during their first year, students听now听engage with activities that have been scientifically shown to help close the awarding gap,听on the topics of belonging, assessments, faculty interactions, growth mindset and the benefits of diversity.鈥�
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Improving the research culture听
We provide scholarship opportunities to PhD students from any nationality, allowing us to create a thriving international student community听that brings diverse nationalities, languages, customs, and ethnicities to our departments.听Our current PhD cohort of over 580 students comprises students from 62 different nationalities.
However, the number of BAME students entering postgraduate research听is听still听extremely听low.听We鈥檙e听working听to rectify this with听events听and mentoring听that promote postgraduate opportunities to BAME students.听Much of this work is about debunking the myths听that surround听postgraduate study 鈥� that some students feel it鈥檚 not for them听or that they need to choose between working and earning, and a research career.听So听we鈥檙e running events, to give听them听the chance to meet听inspirational Black leaders听and find out听about scholarship and part-time research听opportunities.听听
We鈥檙e听also听involved in听in2Research, a new mentoring听initiative听that听gives听students听research experience and advice on following听a research career.听And we鈥檙e听working with听the Simons Foundation Collaboration on their听Global Brain Undergraduate Research Fellowship听programme.听Although in its early stages, we already have several听undergraduate students from underrepresented minorities听now听working with us on part-time, paid research听alongside听their听studies.听听
Finally, when it comes to research,听funders have听highlighted听differences in grant success between genders.听But after听delving into听our own听data for Biosciences, we found听that听application and success rates weren鈥檛听notably听different between men and women. However, women tended to ask for, and obtain, less money. To address this gender funding gap, we鈥檙e听recommending听establishing peer grant review panels and protocols,听to include assessment of grant budgets, and听ensure听that听each proposal is budgeted听fairly and听appropriately.听