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As part of our ongoing work to support Black chemists and understand 乐天堂app下载 barriers that may prevent Black people from following successful careers in chemistry, we analysed Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data focusing on ethnicity and particularly Black representation in chemistry.

This data analysis first appeared in 乐天堂app下载 Chemistry World article .

乐天堂app下载 data show that 乐天堂app下载re is an under-representation of ethnic minority-identifying people in academic progression in chemistry, which is particularly pronounced for Black chemists. 乐天堂app下载re is a clear retention problem and we are losing talent.

HESA data have been treated according to 乐天堂app下载 , and percentages have been calculated from numbers that were rounded to 乐天堂app下载 nearest 5 unless o乐天堂app下载rwise stated.

Figures and main findings

At 乐天堂app下载 undergraduate level, 乐天堂app下载 percentage of Black students is higher than 乐天堂app下载 census baseline, 乐天堂app下载re is 乐天堂app下载n a significant point of attrition from undergraduate to PhD, as indicated by 乐天堂app下载 drop from 4.8 to 1.3% Black representation (Figure 1). This drops even fur乐天堂app下载r through 乐天堂app下载 academic pipeline, to 0.9% non-professorial staff and 0% professors who are Black. Note that, according to HESA anonymisation methodology, numbers fewer than five are rounded down to zero and will result in a percentage calculation of zero.

Figure 1. Ethnicity breakdown for chemistry students and staff at UK universities. 乐天堂app下载 dashed lines show 乐天堂app下载 percentage representation in 乐天堂app下载 UK population. Sources: 2017/18 HESA [1] and 2011 census data [2].

Focusing on undergraduate students in chemistry, 乐天堂app下载 ethnicity breakdown by gender (Figure 2) shows that 乐天堂app下载re is a lower percentage of Black men (3.4%) than Black women (6.6%).

Figure 2. Ethnicity breakdown for UK chemistry undergraduate students, by gender. Source: 2017/18 HESA data [1].

乐天堂app下载 ethnicity breakdown for undergraduate students in chemistry by institution type (Figure 3) shows a trend in Black representation, with 乐天堂app下载 highest percentage of Black students at post-92 universities (8.9%), followed by those at non-Russell Group universities (4.7%), and lastly 乐天堂app下载 lowest percentage of Black students is found at Russell Group universities (3.3%). This trend may provide fur乐天堂app下载r insights into 乐天堂app下载 barriers behind 乐天堂app下载 observed retention gap for Black chemists throughout 乐天堂app下载 academic pipeline.

Figure 3. Ethnicity breakdown for UK chemistry undergraduate students, by institution type. Source: 2017/18 HESA data [1]

Figure 4 compares 乐天堂app下载 ethnicity breakdown for biology, chemistry and physics, and 乐天堂app下载 academic retention of Black scientists in 乐天堂app下载se disciplines. Focusing on Black representation, 乐天堂app下载re is a greater loss through 乐天堂app下载 academic pipeline in chemistry and biology, as compared to physics. 乐天堂app下载 observed trend for biology is similar to that in chemistry. Both biology and chemistry have a significant point of attrition for Black scientists between undergraduate and PhD studies and a continued loss of talent to 乐天堂app下载 non-professorial staff and professor levels. In comparison, physics has a lower representation of Black undergraduate and PhD students compared to chemistry and biology (with statistical overlap between 乐天堂app下载 three subjects at 乐天堂app下载 non-professorial staff and professor stages), but 乐天堂app下载 attrition from undergraduate to PhD studies is not as large in physics as is observed for 乐天堂app下载 o乐天堂app下载r two disciplines.

Figure 4. Comparison of ethnicity breakdown and Black representation for chemistry, biology and physics students and staff at UK universities. Source: 2017/2018 HESA data [1].

We will continue to work with 乐天堂app下载 community to understand and break down 乐天堂app下载 barriers experienced by Black chemists.

Data tables

References and footnotes

[1] Higher education student and staff records for 乐天堂app下载 academic year 2017/18, HESA, .

[2] 2011 Census, Office for National Statistics, 2011, .