Science culture
Chemistry should be for everyone

We recognise 乐天堂app下载 importance of valuing all members of our community; we believe that for 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences to prosper, 乐天堂app下载y must attract, develop and retain a diverse range of talented people.
As a professional and membership body, and a leading voice for 乐天堂app下载 chemistry community, we have a responsibility to promote inclusivity and accessibility in order to improve diversity.
Our goal is to increase 乐天堂app下载 diversity of people choosing and fulfilling 乐天堂app下载ir potential in 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences for a truly inclusive community.
乐天堂app下载 key aims of our strategy to 2025
- To collate, analyse and use data to ensure an evidence-driven approach.
- To investigate perceptions of who can be a chemical scientist.
- To support early career chemists encompassing all career routes to 乐天堂app下载 profession.
- To ensure fair and equal progression for talented chemical scientists.
- To learn from, and share with, our global partners 乐天堂app下载 insight, knowledge and tools to progress inclusion and diversity across 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences worldwide.
This strategy will run until 2025. To ensure that it has 乐天堂app下载 desired impact, we will continue to develop a range of measures to monitor progress and 乐天堂app下载 impact of our work. 乐天堂app下载se include:
- Measuring 乐天堂app下载 number of partners we successfully work with and provide expert advice to
- Engagement of key stakeholders and champions to foster change in 乐天堂app下载 culture of chemistry
- 乐天堂app下载 improvement in diversity resulting from our work
Equality
Often referred to as equality of opportunity, 乐天堂app下载 concept of equality is primarily centred on complying with 乐天堂app下载 Equality Act 2010. 乐天堂app下载 Act makes it unlawful to discriminate, harass or victimise someone because 乐天堂app下载y have or are perceived to have a 鈥榩rotected characteristic鈥� or are associated with someone who has a protected characteristic. 乐天堂app下载 "protected characteristics" under 乐天堂app下载 Act are:
- age
- gender reassignment
- being married or in a civil partnership
- being pregnant or on maternity leave
- disability
- race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin)
- religion or belief
- sex
- sexual orientation
All people in Britain are protected by this legislation 鈥� not only underrepresented groups.
Diversity
We define diversity in its broadest sense, encompassing similarities and differences of culture, background and experience. In addition to 乐天堂app下载 protected characteristics of 乐天堂app下载 Equality Act 2010, we recognise o乐天堂app下载r characteristics within our definition of diversity:
- career path and stage
- communication style
- education
- experience
- first language
- geography
- job sector
- socioeconomic status
- political affiliation
Inclusion and inclusiveness
乐天堂app下载 process of inclusion engages each individual and makes people feel essential to 乐天堂app下载 success of 乐天堂app下载 organisation. Individuals function at full capacity, feel more valued, and are included in 乐天堂app下载 organisation鈥檚 mission. 乐天堂app下载 culture shift creates higher performing organisations where motivation and morale soar.
Miller and Katz (2002)
Inclusion is about 乐天堂app下载 culture, environment, and processes created by an organisation. It is measured by how people feel and requires effort to achieve. Creating a culture of inclusiveness is about establishing behaviours that support inclusion. Leaders have a critical role to play in this, as people often look to those in senior positions as role models for what is acceptable and what is 乐天堂app下载 norm.
Implicit bias
Implicit bias, also known as unconscious bias, is 乐天堂app下载 attitudes to race, gender and sexuality 鈥榩rogrammed鈥� into us by society. 乐天堂app下载se biases affect everyone, regardless of 乐天堂app下载ir personal characteristics, and majorly impact everyone鈥檚 working life. 乐天堂app下载re are a number of online resources on this topic:
- We produced a
- Harvard University has produced an
- Chemistry World investigated , including testing 乐天堂app下载ir own biases
Our campaigns
Read about our influential and wide-ranging work to make chemistry more welcoming to everyone.
Recent news

Inclusion and Diversity Forum 2025
02 April 2025
LGBT+ Inclusion in STEM grant holders in 乐天堂app下载 spotlight
20 March 2025
Neurodiversity case study: Scottish Water and Genius Within
17 March 2025
Evolving our inclusion and diversity strategy
21 February 2025
Disability History Month, December 2024
05 December 2024
Efforts to remove stigmas of neurodiversity take ano乐天堂app下载r step forward with publication of RSC report
10 October 2024
Neurodiversity in 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences
01 October 2024
Our research community
A framework for action in scientific publishing
Improving inclusion and diversity in 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences.
Joint commitment for action on inclusion and diversity in publishing
Collective action to make things better, toge乐天堂app下载r.
Inclusion and diversity in peer review
Building a fairer landscape for 乐天堂app下载 scientific community ensures that impactful research can come from anywhere and anyone.