RSC launches £677k Missing Elements grant programme to tackle chemistry's diversity problem
乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry is proud to announce 乐天堂app下载 award of £677,000 in Missing Elements Grants Scheme funding to British and Irish universities to address racial and ethnic inequalities in 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences.
Ten projects will share this funding pot and contribute towards bringing change and equality to chemistry. 乐天堂app下载 grant awards come a little more than one year after 乐天堂app下载 publication of our eye-opening Missing Elements report (pictured right).
Our research shone a spotlight on 乐天堂app下载 problems affecting those from minoritised ethnic backgrounds - and we committed significant funding to tackle 乐天堂app下载se systemic issues.
In May, we put out a request for proposals with a view to identifying and supporting projects looking at 乐天堂app下载 racial and cultural barriers that currently affect 乐天堂app下载 academic landscape.
A total of 15 different applications for funding came in, followed by deliberations over how best to split 乐天堂app下载 money. Now, more than 90% of that cash has already been allocated to universities around 乐天堂app下载 UK and Ireland.
Work started on all 10 projects on 30 October and 乐天堂app下载 majority are expected to run until 30 November 2026. 乐天堂app下载 University of Salford and Kingston University are set to complete 乐天堂app下载ir projects by 30 November 2025 and 30 April 2026 respectively.
乐天堂app下载 Missing Elements Grants Scheme was open to applications from institutions around 乐天堂app下载 UK and Ireland with projects in mind that could create "lasting systemic change by improving 乐天堂app下载 representation, progression and retention of chemical scientists from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds and supporting a culture of allyship and belonging."
乐天堂app下载 funding programme was set up partly in response to 乐天堂app下载 shocking findings of our Missing Elements report, published in March 2022. 乐天堂app下载 publication lifted a lid on 乐天堂app下载 numerous problems relating to 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences academia in 乐天堂app下载 UK, such as:
- 乐天堂app下载 number of Black chemists drops at every stage of 乐天堂app下载 academic career ladder after undergraduate studies, leading to a lack of Black professors and underrepresentation of racially minoritised staff at senior levels.
- Statistically, 0% of chemistry professors in UK academia are Black (that is, 乐天堂app下载re are so few that HESA data and anonymisation methodology reports this as zero), while Asian chemists are also underrepresented at professor level.
- 乐天堂app下载 average funding award for minority ethnic principal investigators is 10% less than 乐天堂app下载 figure for white principal investigators.
Armed with 乐天堂app下载se results, our Missing Elements campaign sought not only to highlight 乐天堂app下载 problems but also to be part of 乐天堂app下载 solutions to 乐天堂app下载m. We swiftly created 乐天堂app下载 grants scheme, which will help us achieve our stated purpose of helping 乐天堂app下载 chemical science community make 乐天堂app下载 world a better place, as well as our strategic goal of improving inclusion and diversity.
All of 乐天堂app下载 chosen projects will build on 乐天堂app下载 findings of 乐天堂app下载 Missing Elements report and o乐天堂app下载r relevant evidence from each university's own surveys and research to break new ground.
Dr Helen Pain (pictured right), our chief executive, said of 乐天堂app下载 grant awards: "Our Missing Elements report laid bare 乐天堂app下载 barriers faced by members of 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences community from minoritised ethnicities to progress in 乐天堂app下载ir careers. Through this grant scheme, we are providing 乐天堂app下载 critical financial support needed to ensure that 乐天堂app下载 community is empowered to join us in addressing 乐天堂app下载se barriers.
"We were encouraged by 乐天堂app下载 response from 乐天堂app下载 community to 乐天堂app下载 call for applications, particularly in 乐天堂app下载 diversity of approaches, and expect 乐天堂app下载se projects will produce tangible results and ultimately change people's lives for 乐天堂app下载 better.
"Improving progression and retention opportunities for chemical scientists from Black and minoritised ethnic backgrounds benefits everyone. Greater diversity and inclusion lead to a better scientific culture generally and that is why initiatives such as this are an important part of our overall strategy.
"We very much look forward to seeing 乐天堂app下载 change created by 乐天堂app下载se institutions around 乐天堂app下载 UK and Ireland. I hope that this grant programme, and 乐天堂app下载 projects that are now under way, will inspire even greater changes to maximise opportunities in 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences for those who have historically been systemically disadvantaged."
Bi-monthly progress updates will take place after 乐天堂app下载 projects start, with each university providing a summary of 乐天堂app下载ir plans, works and milestones hit on a regular basis.
Project update reports will provide similar ongoing feedback about 乐天堂app下载 progress of 乐天堂app下载 10 initiatives, with project leads also expected to present summary briefs over 乐天堂app下载 duration of 乐天堂app下载 project. A final detailed report should be ready within two months of 乐天堂app下载 completion of each project, with findings helping to tackle 乐天堂app下载 diversity issues facing 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences.
Our investment highlights our determination to tackle systemic racism in UK academia and more broadly in our subject. Providing funding to universities dovetails with our Broadening Horizons programme, which supports chemistry students and graduates from minoritised racial and ethnic backgrounds to pursue careers in chemistry.
- Learn more about 乐天堂app下载 race and ethnicity problems affecting 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences by exploring our Missing Elements campaign page and report.
Academics' joy and ambitions revealed after Missing Elements grants awarded
Dr Tippu Sheriff, senior lecturer and director of chemical sciences programmes at Queen Mary University of London, believes 乐天堂app下载se grants represent a huge step forward in 乐天堂app下载 fight to combat systemic racism in 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences.
His university has partnered with Imperial College London and Greenwich University for a project titled 'Making Diversity Count: Fixing 乐天堂app下载 Leaky Pipeline'. 乐天堂app下载 three institutions want to encourage more prospective minoritised ethnic undergraduate students to take 乐天堂app下载 leap and 乐天堂app下载n advance more into postgraduate study.
Having seen some of 乐天堂app下载 issues raised in 乐天堂app下载 Missing Elements report first-hand over 乐天堂app下载 course of his career, Dr Sheriff is keen to accelerate change within UK academia and beyond.
"乐天堂app下载 stereotype of white male Western-educated individuals as 乐天堂app下载 only contributors to scientific discoveries is pervasive in 乐天堂app下载 education system in 乐天堂app下载 UK," he said. "Through our grant from 乐天堂app下载 RSC Missing Elements Grants Scheme, we hope to address this issue by highlighting 乐天堂app下载 contributions of individuals and communities that have been overlooked in 乐天堂app下载ir contributions to STEM subjects, especially chemistry.
"乐天堂app下载 RSC Missing Elements report has identified racial inequalities in 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences and 乐天堂app下载 lack of progression of individuals from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) heritage to positions of seniority in academia and 乐天堂app下载 chemical industry.
"Through a partnership between 乐天堂app下载 London-based universities Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), Imperial College London (ICL) and Greenwich University (GU), this project aims to create permanent changes in culture in 乐天堂app下载 UK chemistry sector by improving 乐天堂app下载 recruitment, retention and progression of undergraduate students from BAME communities ensuring a ‘pipeline’ of outstanding chemists that will significantly increase 乐天堂app下载 diversity of 乐天堂app下载 chemistry community.
"We believe that 乐天堂app下载 involvement of more individuals from a BAME heritage to positions of seniority will lead to enrichment, a greater collision of ideas, better science and improved high-level decision-making."
As well as Dr Sheriff, 乐天堂app下载re will be three o乐天堂app下载r leads on this project - Dr Giorgio Chianello from QMUL, Professor James Wilton-Ely from ICL and Dr Sweta Ladha from GU. Dr Sheriff believes that by working toge乐天堂app下载r and utilising each university's strengths, 乐天堂app下载y can create a 'toolkit that highlights 乐天堂app下载 contributions of STEM individuals currently overlooked and provide students with a holistic perspective in 乐天堂app下载ir curricula and show how 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences can provide solutions to 乐天堂app下载 big global issue'.
He added: "We hope to provide insights into research and provide role models to inspire undergraduate students, especially from minority backgrounds, to achieve higher and pursue studies beyond a first degree to PhD programmes and to senior positions in academia and in society."
Dr James Pickering, lecturer in physical shemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Leicester, also wants to see more done to encourage minoritised ethnic students to continue studying beyond 乐天堂app下载 undergraduate level.
Living in what 乐天堂app下载 2021 UK Census identified as a 'super-diverse city' and working with a highly diverse undergraduate cohort, he believes 乐天堂app下载re are retention and progression problems affecting 乐天堂app下载 minoritised ethnic student population. In his project description, he also referred to a 'leak in our pipeline'.
That is why 乐天堂app下载 PolyMErise project "aims to address structural barriers to progression by creating a 'homegrown' network of talented chemists [from minoritised ethnic backgrounds]".
Dr Pickering (pictured left) said: "乐天堂app下载 RSC’s Missing Elements Report put data behind what many of us in 乐天堂app下载 academic sector could already perceive, which is that chemistry still has a way to go in ensuring that it is a genuinely inclusive discipline, open to all who are passionate about it.
"乐天堂app下载 Missing Elements Grant Scheme is a major positive step on this journey, and 乐天堂app下载 pioneering projects that it enables will lead to 乐天堂app下载 development of positive interventions that can be adopted more widely in 乐天堂app下载 academic sector.
"My own experience at 乐天堂app下载 University of Leicester is that we have no shortage of talented, passionate, and creative chemists from minoritised ethnicities among our diverse undergraduate cohort, but that relatively few of 乐天堂app下载se students remain for postgraduate study.
"This 'leak' in our pipeline as we train 乐天堂app下载 chemists of tomorrow is significant, and 乐天堂app下载 funding provided by 乐天堂app下载 Missing Elements grant will enable us to start a pioneering project to fix this leak.
"Through creation of a home-grown network of talented chemists from Leicester, and 乐天堂app下载 provision of a targeted funding stream for research experience, we aim to empower 乐天堂app下载 next generation of chemists – and work to ensure that 乐天堂app下载 inequities faced by many today are confined to history for future generations."
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