Athena SWAN
What is the Athena SWAN charter?
Launched in June 2005, the Athena SWAN Charter recognises commitment to advancing women's careers in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment in higher education. Any higher education institution which is committed to the advancement and promotion of the careers of women in STEMM in higher education and research can apply for membership.
The beliefs underpinning the Charter are:
- The advancement of science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine is fundamental to quality of life across the globe
- It is vitally important that women are adequately represented in what has traditionally been, and is still, a male-dominated area
- Science cannot reach its full potential unless it can benefit from the talents of the whole population, and until women and men can benefit equally from the opportunities it affords
MRC’s involvement in the Athena SWAN principles
Up until recently, Athena SWAN awards were only available to university departments and institutions, although a pilot is current underway to assess how research institutes outside the university sector can achieve Athena SWAN awards.
The MRC and a number of research organisations such as the BBSRC are working with Equality Challenge Unit on the pilot.
Research institutes in the pilot include:
- National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR)
- Natural History Museum
- John Innes Centre (JIC)
- The Pirbright Institute
- Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE)
- James Hutton Institute
- WellcomeTrust Sanger Institute
The submission deadline for Athena SWAN institute award applications from the pilot sites in the end of July 2013.
Further information
For further information on the MRC’s work with Athena SWAN and the Research Institutes pilot, please contact Mel Nunn, Head of Equalities on: mel.nunn@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
Links
NIMR pilot
The MRC’s National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) is a research institute dedicated to studying important questions about the life processes that are relevant to all aspects of health.
Located in Mill Hill, in North London, its mission is:
- To carry out innovative high quality biomedical research
- To be a major contributor to the MRC’s commitments in the training of scientists
- Technology transfer, and the presentation of its science to the public
NIMR has been selected to be the MRC pilot site for the Athena SWAN Research Institutes project. Professor Jim Smith, Director of NIMR said:
“NIMR is committed to scientific excellence. To achieve this it must provide an environment that supports and encourages all members of staff to reach their full potential, harnessing the skills of everyone in the Institute.
By applying for the Athena SWAN charter, I want to ensure that women are properly represented in the Institute’s work. We'll do this by understanding and tackling the issues that affect the recruitment and retention of female scientists and support staff, so that everyone has the opportunity to succeed regardless of gender.”
NIMR has setup an Athena SWAN Self-Assessment Team:
- TBC