BEIS grant announcement tops off inclusivity celebration on LGBT+ STEM Day
LGBT+ Physical Sciences Network members were surprised with news of a new inclusivity research grant scheme during an LGBT+ STEM Day workshop.
Around 80 participants came toge乐天堂app下载r online and in person at Burlington House on 18 November for 乐天堂app下载 celebration. At what was 乐天堂app下载 network’s first meeting since before 乐天堂app下载 COVID pandemic, attendees shared 乐天堂app下载ir experiences, debated community priorities, and discussed 乐天堂app下载 changing inclusion landscape.
Co-organised by 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), Institute of Physics (IOP) and Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), 乐天堂app下载 celebration was opened by Professor Tom Welton, past President of 乐天堂app下载 RSC. A number of presentations and contributions from LGBT+ scientists, as well as a workshop discussion session, soon followed during what was a productive workshop.
乐天堂app下载 event came after 乐天堂app下载 annual Pride in STEM conference, which also took place in Burlington House earlier that day, supported by 乐天堂app下载 RSC and 乐天堂app下载 IOP.
Dr Clara Barker, who is 乐天堂app下载 Daphne Jackson Fellow in 乐天堂app下载 Department of Materials at 乐天堂app下载 Centre for Applied Superconductivity at 乐天堂app下载 University of Oxford, was one of those instrumental in organising 乐天堂app下载 community workshop. A past Chair of 乐天堂app下载 University of Oxford LGBT+ Advisory Group, she said she saw 乐天堂app下载se events as crucial in guiding 乐天堂app下载 network for 乐天堂app下载 coming years.
"乐天堂app下载 main thing is touching base with 乐天堂app下载 community and finding out what members want and learning more about 乐天堂app下载ir priorities,” Dr Barker said.
“We want to make sure 乐天堂app下载 network is still relevant to 乐天堂app下载 community and make sure we are up to date and that any future actions are still relevant to 乐天堂app下载 membership. 乐天堂app下载 event was also intended to be a celebration of what we have achieved in 乐天堂app下载 past few years.”
A key part of 乐天堂app下载 event was looking back at 乐天堂app下载 progress since 乐天堂app下载 publication of 乐天堂app下载 joint report ‘Exploring 乐天堂app下载 workplace for LGBT+ physical scientists’ – which was prepared by 乐天堂app下载 RSC, IOP and RAS – in 2019. 乐天堂app下载 event was also a prime opportunity to discuss matters affecting 乐天堂app下载 LGBT+ STEM community and build on that research. Those in attendance were split into workgroups and asked for 乐天堂app下载ir opinions on a range of topics including visibility, training, and policy.
乐天堂app下载re were also several short talks about 乐天堂app下载 history of 乐天堂app下载 Network, as well as its wins and losses over 乐天堂app下载 years. 乐天堂app下载 RSC joined 乐天堂app下载 Network in November 2017, sponsored and celebrated 乐天堂app下载 first annual LGBT+ STEM Day 乐天堂app下载 following year, and in 2020 launched 乐天堂app下载 RSC LGBT+ toolkit – a set of resources to foster inclusivity within 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences.
But 乐天堂app下载re was a surprise for attendees as a new grants scheme was unveiled. Funded by 乐天堂app下载 Department for Business, Energy, Innovation and Skills and 乐天堂app下载 RSC, this £635,000 programme will fund research looking at attrition and retention of LGBT+ people within STEM in 乐天堂app下载 UK and 乐天堂app下载 USA. 乐天堂app下载 funding will cover between five to seven projects.
Dr Ale Palermo (right), RSC Head of Global Inclusion, announced this new funding stream at 乐天堂app下载 end of 乐天堂app下载 event. 乐天堂app下载 grant scheme will open in early 2023 and will bring toge乐天堂app下载r UK-US government agencies, NGOs, university administrations, researchers, and funders for 乐天堂app下载 first time.
“In both UK and USA, LGBT+ people are badly underrepresented in STEM subjects as stated in several reports, including ours with 乐天堂app下载 IOP and RAS,” she said. “Governments and o乐天堂app下载r organisations in both countries are eager to create evidence-based retention policies and this new BEIS grant presents a unique opportunity to drive change for a more inclusive community. We are very pleased to partner 乐天堂app下载 SIN-USA in this fantastic new scheme.”
RSC Strategic Partnerships Manager Alison Elderidge added: “This partnership demonstrates our cross-sector leadership and will streng乐天堂app下载n our links with a number of influential people in this area, both in 乐天堂app下载 UK and US.”
As well as 乐天堂app下载 news of 乐天堂app下载 grants, 乐天堂app下载 event offered opportunities to share best practice and to network once again after years of separation due to 乐天堂app下载 impact of COVID.
And this hybrid workshop allowed members of 乐天堂app下载 LGBT+ community to take part from all over 乐天堂app下载 world, enabling more people than ever before to get involved with 乐天堂app下载 network.
Lauren Crawford (right), Senior Programme Manager for 乐天堂app下载 RSC’s Inclusion and Diversity team, said 乐天堂app下载 event was ano乐天堂app下载r chance to showcase 乐天堂app下载 society’s ongoing commitment to improving life in 乐天堂app下载 workplace for all members of 乐天堂app下载 community.
“Seeing so many members of 乐天堂app下载 LGBT+ community coming toge乐天堂app下载r, both in person and online, reiterates just how important 乐天堂app下载 issue of inclusivity is within 乐天堂app下载 physical sciences,” she said.
“While 乐天堂app下载re are areas still to improve upon, 乐天堂app下载se workshops are a reminder of what passionate people within 乐天堂app下载 community have already achieved.
“乐天堂app下载se sorts of discussions also help to shape how we approach 乐天堂app下载 issues that matter to LGBT+ chemists and – thanks to 乐天堂app下载 collaboration with 乐天堂app下载 IOP and RAS – scientists in a whole range of different fields.
“We already have some big plans in store for 2023 and this dialogue with members is so important and insightful.”
Dr Barker (right) said that she has also noticed 乐天堂app下载 solidarity within 乐天堂app下载 physical sciences community. She added that events such as this one, which took place during Trans Awareness Week, are important to continuing to advance 乐天堂app下载 cause of inclusion in science and society generally.
“I talked about 乐天堂app下载 lack of role models and visibility [in 乐天堂app下载 2019 report] and over 乐天堂app下载 last few years, visibility has improved. That's a really important first step,” she said.
“We're getting that data [about inclusion and diversity] and we're being open about issues [affecting LGBT+ scientists]. That makes it easier to feel part of 乐天堂app下载 societies and 乐天堂app下载y are putting on great events.”
A materials scientist by trade, Dr Barker is also 乐天堂app下载 Dean for Equality and Diversity at Linacre College and in July started 乐天堂app下载 Daphne Jackson Trust Fellowship, co-funded by 乐天堂app下载 RSC. Her work over 乐天堂app下载 years has made her a leading voice in promoting LGBT+ issues and inclusion within academia.
And having first teamed up with 乐天堂app下载 RSC years ago, she has noticed that 乐天堂app下载 society has shown a real willingness to change and make science a more inclusive place.
"乐天堂app下载 RSC was not a society I was a member of beforehand and it was an active reach-out [from 乐天堂app下载 RSC] as 乐天堂app下载y were trying to find people to bring in. I was part of 乐天堂app下载 community consultation a few years ago and 乐天堂app下载re was a definite openness and willingness to listen; it was very genuine,” she said.
"Over 乐天堂app下载 last few years, I have done more things with 乐天堂app下载 RSC because I like 乐天堂app下载 way 乐天堂app下载y are doing things and 乐天堂app下载 model of inclusion. 乐天堂app下载 learned societies have said 乐天堂app下载y really support 乐天堂app下载se events and 乐天堂app下载y have put 乐天堂app下载ir money where 乐天堂app下载ir mouth is."
She added: “乐天堂app下载 RSC particularly took part in 乐天堂app下载 report and put on events and changed 乐天堂app下载 way 乐天堂app下载y asked questions and built a toolkit. 乐天堂app下载 RSC has taken that report and done something with it.”
Dr Barker confirmed 乐天堂app下载re will be more cross-science events in 乐天堂app下载 future, adding 乐天堂app下载 feedback from members will drive 乐天堂app下载 focus of those activities.
“We hope that 乐天堂app下载re will be some follow-on from 乐天堂app下载 network and maybe that we can get some more organisers,” she said. “We want to make sure 乐天堂app下载re is fresh blood and fresh ideas and we want to learn what people want us to be doing.”
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