STEM Equals
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Strathclyde
Department Name: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Abstract
There is a growing body of scientific literature that suggests women are actively and passively discriminated against in academia, and that the problem is particularly persistent across Engineering and Sciences. For example, in 2012, a study was published where applications that had been randomly assigned a male or female name, were rated for a Physics Laboratory Manager position. Recruitment panels rated the male applicant as significantly more competent and hireable than the (identical) female applicant. They also offered a higher starting salary and more career mentoring to the male.
The experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) academics in Science and Engineering are considerably less well-studied than those of women. This may be as result of the extremely low numbers of LGBT staff that are out at work in Science and Engineering Faculties (as compared to the Arts and Humanities). One published study interviewed LGB Engineering students and found that engineering departments were viewed as hostile by the majority of LGB-identifying students and that most navigated this heteronormative engineering climate by 'passing' as heterosexual. The low numbers of openly LGBT staff would suggest that this is a common experience.
The STEM Equals project aims to develop initiatives that will improve equality and diversity for female and LGBT staff across the Science and Engineering Faculty at the University of Strathclyde. We will then expand our initiatives to encompass other Faculties, reach out to collaborative research partners in industry and share best practice with other Universities throughout the UK.We will build on existing initiatives, supporting women within the Faculty of Engineering, to develop a comprehensive programme of gender- and LGBT-related equality and diversity activities. We aim to: encompass a broader equality and diversity agenda; fully include the Faculty of Science; develop a joint equality learning experience with key industry-university research partners; undertake research to understand specific challenges and develop new initiatives; reach out to other local Universities and strategic industry partners to share best practice.
The experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) academics in Science and Engineering are considerably less well-studied than those of women. This may be as result of the extremely low numbers of LGBT staff that are out at work in Science and Engineering Faculties (as compared to the Arts and Humanities). One published study interviewed LGB Engineering students and found that engineering departments were viewed as hostile by the majority of LGB-identifying students and that most navigated this heteronormative engineering climate by 'passing' as heterosexual. The low numbers of openly LGBT staff would suggest that this is a common experience.
The STEM Equals project aims to develop initiatives that will improve equality and diversity for female and LGBT staff across the Science and Engineering Faculty at the University of Strathclyde. We will then expand our initiatives to encompass other Faculties, reach out to collaborative research partners in industry and share best practice with other Universities throughout the UK.We will build on existing initiatives, supporting women within the Faculty of Engineering, to develop a comprehensive programme of gender- and LGBT-related equality and diversity activities. We aim to: encompass a broader equality and diversity agenda; fully include the Faculty of Science; develop a joint equality learning experience with key industry-university research partners; undertake research to understand specific challenges and develop new initiatives; reach out to other local Universities and strategic industry partners to share best practice.
Planned Impact
The ethos of the STEM Equals project is to have impact on diversity, equality and inclusion in academia. Each individual activity has been carefully designed, and described in detail, to achieve this. Example impacts would be:
- A reduction in the gender pay-gap
- An inclusive environment for LGBT staff that results in a high percentage of staff feeling sufficiently comfortable as to be out at work.
- Mechanisms to retain leadership of their research areas for staff on maternity/paternity/adoption or carer leave
- An increased number of female PIs on successful applications to the Research Councils, specifically EPSRC.
Impact will be measured through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). KPIs are well-known to drive behavioural change, so their appropriateness will be discussed with female and LGBT academics during the course of the project. Initial suggestions are: the percentage of female STEM academics at each grade within the University; the career trajectories of female STEM academics (i.e. time spent at each grade by comparison to their male counterparts) - see A4; an increase in the number of grants with female PIs submitted to, and awarded by, EPSRC; the number of members and attendees in the female networks (to demonstrate a reduction in female academic isolation); an increased public profile for LGBT STEM activities in the University (measured via the number of web-based and public activities); the number of LGBT staff that are out at work; the number of LGBT staff that are members of the private staff network; the number of applicants for STEM positions that declare as LGBT (we expect this to ultimately rise in response to LGBT STEM achievements being widely promoted).
Project continuity and durable, long-term impact is ensured by the high-level of commitment provided by the University of Strathclyde. The University will continue to fund the project fully for a further two years during which time it will endeavour to roll-out successful initiatives across the remaining Faculties. Toward the end of the 4th year, there will be a project effectiveness review, the results of which will determine the level of central support required to sustain ongoing delivery and impact.
- A reduction in the gender pay-gap
- An inclusive environment for LGBT staff that results in a high percentage of staff feeling sufficiently comfortable as to be out at work.
- Mechanisms to retain leadership of their research areas for staff on maternity/paternity/adoption or carer leave
- An increased number of female PIs on successful applications to the Research Councils, specifically EPSRC.
Impact will be measured through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). KPIs are well-known to drive behavioural change, so their appropriateness will be discussed with female and LGBT academics during the course of the project. Initial suggestions are: the percentage of female STEM academics at each grade within the University; the career trajectories of female STEM academics (i.e. time spent at each grade by comparison to their male counterparts) - see A4; an increase in the number of grants with female PIs submitted to, and awarded by, EPSRC; the number of members and attendees in the female networks (to demonstrate a reduction in female academic isolation); an increased public profile for LGBT STEM activities in the University (measured via the number of web-based and public activities); the number of LGBT staff that are out at work; the number of LGBT staff that are members of the private staff network; the number of applicants for STEM positions that declare as LGBT (we expect this to ultimately rise in response to LGBT STEM achievements being widely promoted).
Project continuity and durable, long-term impact is ensured by the high-level of commitment provided by the University of Strathclyde. The University will continue to fund the project fully for a further two years during which time it will endeavour to roll-out successful initiatives across the remaining Faculties. Toward the end of the 4th year, there will be a project effectiveness review, the results of which will determine the level of central support required to sustain ongoing delivery and impact.
Publications
STEM Equals
(2022)
STEM Equals - 2021 Report
STEM Equals
(2020)
The STEM Equals Project: First Year Report
STEM Equals
(2021)
Women and LGBT+ people in STEM: Evidence from STEM Equals
Reggiani M
(2023)
LGBT + academics' and PhD students' experiences of visibility in STEM: more than raising the rainbow flag.
in Higher education
Oluwasanmi A
(2021)
Investigation into the Use of Microfluidics in the Manufacture of Metallic Gold-Coated Iron Oxide Hybrid Nanoparticles.
in Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
Brown K
(2021)
Assessment of [Ru(bpy)2]3+and [Os(diars)2(bthp)]2+ for the electrochemiluminescence detection of gemcitabine and leucovorin toward diagnostic point-of-care sensors within precision medicine
in Sensors and Actuators Reports
| Description | For the first phase of data collection, the STEM Equals research team focused on conducting interviews and focus groups with women and LGBT+ academic staff and PhD students in STEM at the University of Strathclyde. After taking part in an interview or focus group, participants were encouraged to submit reflective writing. There were 82 participants total (including 38 staff members and 44 PhD students). The nearly 46 hours of interviews and focus groups have been transcribed, amounting to over 370,000 words. Additionally, 13 participants provided reflective writing amounting to over 9,000 additional words. The data has been thematically analysed using NVivo. The six key themes that have emerged from the data (with examples of some of the subthemes) include: • Challenges (Disadvantages; Stereotypes; Prejudices; Discriminations) • Policy/Practice (Promotion Process; Maternity/Paternity/Family Leave; Workload; Training) • Identity (Gender identity; Sexual identity; Additional/Intersectional identities; Belonging/Not Belonging) • Space (Layout/Design; Accessibility; Representations; Personal Usage) • Career (Nurturing interest in STEM; Teaching; Research; Working with Industry) • Support (Individual Support; Compliance; Practice; Suggestions for change) The findings from 87 STEM Equals interviews of women and LGBT staff and research students, alongside 6 recommendations for action, were presented to the University Executive Team. The recommendations were accepted in full and are now being actioned. |
| Exploitation Route | The 6 key themes identified above are very unlikely to only be specific to Strathclyde University, both in terms of being an HEI as well as being a large organization. The STEM Equals team contributed to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Diversity & Inclusion in STEM |
| Sectors | Education,Other |
| URL | https://www.stemequals.ac.uk/Publications-Resources/Reports |
| Description | Findings of the focus groups, designed to determine the experience of female and LGBT staff within STEM at Strathclyde, is already feeding into University policy at a Senior Executive level. The dignity and respect policy is being redrafted as to incorporate a cultural of inclusivity. The University is considering how to resource this policy to provide independent go-to advisors for both staff and students. The STEM Equals project will launch the University's first LGBT network on March 25th, 2020 with 25 staff members signed-up for the launch event. The creation of this network, and the accompanying allies training, has the potential for a very positive impact on inclusivity within the University. The call for Pump-Priming awards for female PIs has been launched. These projects will be pre-cursors to larger EPSRC submissions in the following year. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2020 |
| Sector | Education |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Policy & public services |
| Description | All-Party Parliamentary Group on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM: STEM Equals submission for the equity in the STEM workforce inquiry |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| URL | https://www.britishscienceassociation.org/appg |
| Description | Insight and lessons learnt from STEM Equals contribute to research and policy around LGBTQ attrition and retention in STEM in the UK and the US |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | Insights and lessons learnt from STEM Equals influenced the discussion around issues of LGBTQ+ underrepresentation in STEM and how to address attrition and retention of LGBTQ+ individuals. The policy guide, funding opportunities, and other initiatives promoted through the Wilton Park conference will have a transformative impact in the sector in both the UK and the US. |
| Description | STEM Equals Reciprocal Mentoring Programme influence other mentoring initiatives |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Impact | Insights from our innovative reciprocal mentoring programme influenced the development and/or the revision of similar mentoring initiatives at the University of Strathclyde and the Young Academy of Scotland. This will help increase awareness of the challenges of building academic/research careers for those who are from marginalised and underrepresented backgrounds amongst senior leaders in higher education and learned societies. |
| Description | STEM Equals influence on policy and practice at the University of Strathclyde |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or Improved professional practice |
| Impact | The six key recommendations on changing University policy and practice that we developed have been accepted in principle by the Executive Team at the University of Strathclyde and led to the creation of three new positions within the University's EDI team. Our findings and recommendations are now being shared with other Universities in Scotland. |
| Description | STEM Equals work at StrathPride influence the development of other LGBTQ+ staff networks |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Description | EDI Network Plus for Energy Researchers |
| Amount | £1,250,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/W033747/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2022 |
| End | 05/2026 |
| Description | Curiosity Live at the Glasgow Science Centre 7-9 November 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | The Glasgow Science Centre hosts Curiosity Live three times a year, showcasing local research, innovation and creativity. School pupils learn more about STEM careers from researchers who are carrying out ground-breaking work in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. T |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/discover/family-events/curiosity-live |
| Description | Gender & Education Association Virtual Seminar Series 2022 (16 November 2022) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The STEM Equals team joined the Gender & Education Association Virtual Seminar Series 2022 with a presentation titled "Working towards an inclusive future for STEM professions: Systemic challenges and anti-change agents, findings from the STEM Equals project". The event also included a panel discussion. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | International Women's Day 2021 - Celebrating Women Researchers Focused on Sustainable Development, 10 March 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | On 10th March 2021, STEM Equals celebrated International Women's Day with an event focused on the contributions women researchers in STEM are making to address sustainable development. The event included a welcome; three keynote speakers (Dr Tracy More, Senior Lecturer, University of Strathclyde; Dr Tosin Somori, Chancellor's Fellow and Lecturer, University of Strathclyde; Jenala Chipungu, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia); a panel discussion and Q&A. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | LGBT+ in higher education: Building networks, making change, 21 October 2020 (originally scheduled for 25 March 2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | This event was originally scheduled for 25 March 2020 but was rescheduled for 21 October 2020 and held online due to the pandemic LGBT+ in higher education: Building networks, making change Please join STEM Equals and CILIA-LGBTQI+ for an afternoon focused on LGBT+ people in higher education. How can we build stronger networks? How can we create more inclusive research/working communities in which people feel like they can bring their whole selves to their research and their work (continuing discussions from the 2019 article in The GIST What does it mean to be seen?). To paraphrase a focus group participant for the STEM Equals project: We cannot take our identities off like a jacket and leave it by the door when we come to work in our offices or our labs or our classrooms (and we shouldn't feel like we have to). The event will conclude with a launch of the University of Strathclyde LGBT+ staff and PhD student network. When: Wednesday 25th March 2020 from 1:00pm-4:00pm 1:00pm: A free light lunch will be served 1:30pm: Welcome and introduction 1:45pm-2:15pm: Keynote 2:15pm-3:30pm: Panel discussion and Q&A 3:30pm: Launching the University of Strathclyde LGBT+ staff and PhD student network Where: Technology & Innovation Centre (TIC) at the University of Strahtclyde, 99 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1RD Free event; Spaces limited; Registration required Welcome by Professor Yvette Taylor, School of Education, University of Strathclyde Keynote Speaker: Dr Izzy Jayasinghe, Lecturer & UKRI Future Leader Fellow, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds About Dr Jayasinghe: I am a UKRI Future Leader Fellow specialising in biophysics and biophotonics. My early training was as biomedical researcher, attaining my BSc and PhD at the University of Auckland (New Zealand). Since then, I have worked in the Universities of Queensland (Australia) and Exeter as a postdoc. In 2015, I was appointed as a lecturer in the University of Leeds where I have developed and refined new microscopy methods to visualise the molecular-scale features of cells which make up our vital organs. Aside from my day-to-day research and teaching work, I spend most of my time focusing on ways to improve Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) in universities though structures such as Athena SWAN and TIGERinSTEMM. My mission is to improve the career advancement, acceptance and fairness for women and gender minorities in STEMM at the intersections of LGBTQ+ identities, racial minorities and disability. To this end, I take a non-violent approach to raising awareness, tackling misinformation, improving inclusivity and improving the visibility of women and minorities in our workplaces. My ambition is to see universities in the UK become supportive spaces for marginalised groups, safe from hate speech, bullying, discrimination and harassment. Panellists: Dr Izzy Jayasinghe, UKRI Future Leader Fellow, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds Dr Katie Nicoll Baines, School of Chemistry, co-chair, Staff Pride Network, University of Edinburgh Dr Matson Lawrence, School of Education, University of Strathclyde Dr Marco Reggiani, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Strathclyde Professor Yvette Taylor, School of Education, University of Strathclyde Jack Hao Yang, Physics Department, University of Strathclyde Panel Facilitator: Dr Jessica Gagnon, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Strathclyde About STEM Equals: The STEM Equals project is a four year research and impact project focused on women and LGBT+ people in STEM in both academia and in industry. Through an intersectional lens, the project focuses on working cultures within higher education and industry, including better understanding the experiences of and addressing systemic inequalities faced by women and LGBT staff in STEM disciplines. The project industry partner is BAM Nuttall and the project is funded by EPSRC under the Inclusion Matters initiative, with matched funding from the University of Strathclyde. On Twitter: @STEMEquals Website: www.stemequals.ac.uk About CILIA-LGBTQI+: 'Comparing Intersectional Lifecourse Inequalities among LGBTQI+ Citizens in Four European Countries' (CILIA-LGBTQI+): Bringing together an international team of researchers, this 3 year EU-Norface funded project investigates the inequalities experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) people across the lifecourse. The key objective is to provide cross-cultural evidence concerning life course inequalities experienced by LGBTQI+ people, comparing and contrasting across four European countries with different yet interrelated social, historical, economic and political backgrounds: England, Germany, Portugal and Scotland. The project also examines how inequalities related to gender and / or sexuality vary and intersect with others, such as social class, ethnicity, citizenship status, and so on. Twitter: @LGBTQILives Website: https://lgbtqilives.wordpress.com/ |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://lgbtinhe.eventbrite.co.uk |
| Description | LGBTQ+ STEM Day 2020 - Celebrating LGBT+ Researchers Fighting Against Climate Change, 18 November 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | On 18th November 2020, STEM Equals celebrated LGBTQ+ STEM Day with an event focused on the contributions LGBT+ researchers in STEM are making to address climate change. The event included a welcome; three keynote speakers (Dr Rachael Treharne, Postdoctoral Researcher, Woodwell Climate Research Center; Dan Hdidouan, PhD Researcher, Imperial College London; Dr Agustí Egea Alvarez, Chancellor's Fellow and Lecturer, University of Strathclyde, EEE); a panel discussion and Q&A. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://stemequalslgbtstemday.eventbrite.co.uk/ |
| Description | LGBTQ+ STEMinar 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Together with the STEM Village, and working in partnership with LGBTQ+ STEM, STEM Equals was awarded the bid to host the LGBTQ+ STEMinar 2022. The event is believed to be the longest-running and the biggest conference in the world dedicated specifically to showcasing the achievements of LGBTQ+ people in STEM. On 14 January, we featured two keynote speakers and 20 speakers from a variety of disciplines, identities, and backgrounds. Over 460 people registered to attend the LGBTQ+ STEMinar 2022 from around the world. The event was made possible through the generous contributions of our sponsors (including the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://lgbtstem.wordpress.com/lgbtq-steminar-2022/ |
| Description | LGBTQI+ Awareness Training for senior leaders at the University of Strathclyde |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | In collaboration with the EDI team at the University of Strathclyde, STEM Equals organised an LGBTQI+ training session for senior leaders at the University. The workshop was facilitated by the Equality Network,a leading national charity working for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) equality and human rights in Scotland. The session focused on supporting LGBTQI+ people at Strathclyde (applicants, students, staff and visitors), and provided practical tools for advancing LGBTQI+ equality in work and education. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | LGBTQI+ Training for Staff at the University of Strathclyde |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | In collaboration with the EDI team at the University of Strathclyde, STEM Equals organised an LGBTQI+ training session for staff at the University. The workshop was facilitated by the Equality Network,a leading national charity working for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) equality and human rights in Scotland. The session focused on supporting LGBTQI+ people at Strathclyde (applicants, students, staff and visitors), and provided practical tools for advancing LGBTQI+ equality in work and education. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Network Gender & STEM Conference 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The STEM Equals team joined the 6th Network Gender & STEM Conference 2022, Universität der Bundeswehr München, Munich, with a presentation titled "Beyond inspiration: Multi-faceted approaches to fostering engagement in STEM for girls and other underrepresented pupils". ". |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | People like me: LGBT+ History Month Webinar 23 February 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Title: People like me: LGBT+ History Month Webinar - Experiences of LGBT+ individuals in academia Host: University of Nottingham About this Event: What is it like for LGBT+ individuals in academia? What improvements have been made and what still needs to be done? How can we support LGBT individuals at universities? In this hour long panel discussion we talk about the experiences of LGBT individuals in academia, and propose solutions to the problems they face. Speakers: Dr Nabil Fadai (Mathematical Sciences) Doug Little (Deputy Registrar's Devision) Dr Stevie Agius (Medicine) Dr Rowland Seymour (Mathematical Sciences) Dr Nia Jones (Medicine) Dr Jess Gagnon (STEM-Equals, University of Strathclyde) Dr Marco Reggiani (STEM-Equals, University of Strathclyde) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/people-like-me-lgbt-history-month-webinar-tickets-135676210197 |
| Description | Pop-Up Inclusion Matters Seminar Series, 4 November 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | STEM Equals presented findings from the first phase of data collection, focusing on challenges and paths to inclusion in STEM. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://media.ed.ac.uk/media/4th+Nov++Creating+Pathways+to+Inclusion+in+STEM/1_4tx7fwa1/188209503 |
| Description | Presentation at the Advance HE Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Conference 16 March 2021 (originally scheduled 17 March 2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | This conference presentation was originally scheduled for 17 March 2020 and was rescheduled to 16 March 2021 due to the pandemic Title: STEM Equals: Creating more inclusive STEM communities Abstract: This presentation will provide an overview of the STEM Equals project's aims, research, initiatives, and activities. Additionally, it outlines the outreach and dissemination strategy of the project including social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook @STEMEquals) and the project website (www.stemequals.ac.uk) which showcases profiles, blog posts, podcasts, and updates from the ongoing research. STEM Equals is a four-year, mixed-methods project at the University of Strathclyde. Funded by EPSRC within the Inclusion Matters initiative, the project focuses on working cultures, including better understanding and addressing systemic inequalities faced by women and LGBT+ people in STEM. Outline: STEM Equals is a four-year, mixed-methods project at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Funded by EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) within the Inclusion Matters initiative, and in collaboration with industry partner BAM Nuttall, the project focuses on working cultures, including better understanding and addressing systemic inequalities faced by women and LGBT+ people in STEM. Globally, women face systemic inequalities in STEM disciplines. In the UK, women make up just 25% of the STEM workforce and only 13% of management roles (WISE, 2018). In Australia, women make up only 20.6% of senior professors in STEMM disciplines (SAGE, 2016). In the UK, 'almost 90% of grants awarded in the field of engineering and physical sciences over the past decade have gone to projects led by men' (Weale and Barr, 2018). A US study examining gender differences in guest speakers found that men were more likely than women to be invited speakers even after controlling for the gender and rank of the available speakers (Nittrouer et al., 2018). Research on the experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT+) people in STEM also reveals patterns of discrimination. In the UK, a study revealed that '28% of LGBT+ respondents stated that they had at some point considered leaving their workplace because of the climate or discrimination' (IoP, RAS, and RSC, 2019:5). Findings from the Queer in STEM project in the US showed that 'participants working in STEM fields with better representation of women reported a higher degree of [LGBT+] openness' and that 'those who reported a higher degree of openness in the workplace were more likely to describe their workplace as safe and welcoming' (Yoder and Mattheis, 2015:21). This presentation will provide an overview of the STEM Equals project's aims, research, initiatives, and activities. STEM Equals launched in Autumn 2019 and the first phase of data collection is underway, including interviews and focus groups with women and LGBT+ PhD and academic staff. STEM Equals project research aims and objectives include: • Identify: Specific challenges women and LGBT+ staff and PhD students in STEM face; Best practices around equitable hiring/promotion processes in STEM; Best practices around support for and inclusion of women and LGBT+ staff and PhD students in STEM; Best practices around equitable working policies and practices that impact women and LGBT+ staff and PhD students in STEM. • Inform improvements to: Hiring and promotion policies and processes; Policies and practices that impact working cultures/STEM communities. • Evidence policies, practices, and initiatives that enable: More inclusive working cultures/STEM communities to build better belonging for women and LGBT+ staff and PhD students; Increasing numbers of women PIs on submitted research grants; Retention of women and LGBT+ talent in STEM; Support for diversity in STEM. The theoretical frameworks upon which this study is built include: Intersectionality Theory (Metcalf, Russell, and Hill, 2018); Queer Theory and Feminist Theory (Gedro and Mizzi, 2014; Metcalfe et al., 2008); Minority Stress Theory (Velez, Moradi, and Brewster, 2013); and Social Identity Theory (Brown, 2000). Keywords: Women; LGBT+; Inequalities; Inclusion; Diversity; Employment |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/programmes-events/conferences/EDIConf20 |
| Description | Presentation at the EPSRC Inclusion Matters Workshop, 12-13 February 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | STEM Equals presented about our project, focusing on innovation when it comes to design research and initiatives to create more inclusive STEM communities. The day before the presentation, we engaged in a one-day event with the other postdoc researchers working at Inclusion Matters projects to share best practices and plan for future collaboration. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Presentation at the LGBTQ+ STEMinar 10 January 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Title: STEM Equals: Creating more inclusive STEM communities Abstract: STEM Equals is a four-year, mixed-methods project at the University of Strathclyde. Funded by EPSRC within the Inclusion Matters initiative, the project focuses on working cultures, including better understanding and addressing systemic inequalities faced by LGBT+ people and women in STEM. This poster will provide an overview of the STEM Equals project's aims, research, initiatives, and activities. Research on the experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT+) people and women in STEM reveals patterns of discrimination. In the UK '28% of LGBT+ respondents stated that they had at some point considered leaving their workplace because of the climate or discrimination' (IoP, RAS, and RSC, 2019:5). Findings from the Queer in STEM project in the US showed that 'participants working in STEM fields with better representation of women reported a higher degree of [LGBT+] openness' and that 'those who reported a higher degree of openness in the workplace were more likely to describe their workplace as safe and welcoming' (Yoder and Mattheis, 2015:21). Women make up just 25% of the workforce and only 13% of management in STEM in the UK (WISE, 2018). In the UK, 'almost 90% of grants awarded in the field of engineering and physical sciences over the past decade have gone to projects led by men' (Weale and Barr, 2018). STEM Equals launched in Autumn 2019. Find us on social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook @STEMEquals) and visit our website (www.stemequals.ac.uk). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://lgbtstem.wordpress.com/lgbt-steminar-2020/ |
| Description | Presentation at the Strathclyde Feminist Research Network 2021/2022 series (11 May 2022) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The STEM Equals team joined the Strathclyde Feminist Research Network 2021/2022 series with a presentation titled "The Smoke and Mirrors of performative diversity: Institutional reputation, individual burden, and distraction from accountability". |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Pronouns Matter Workshop, 7 November 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | The STEM Equals team developed and facilitated an hour-long training workshop with the staff at the Glasgow Science Centre called Pronouns Matter. Topics explored include: pronouns, gender-neutral language, gender identities, and gender expressions. Feedback indicated high levels of satisfaction and that the workshop was one of the best training sessions received by the staff. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Roadblocks on the path to innovation: Creating inclusive research communities, Seminar Series, October-November 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | In collaboration with Dr Katie Nicoll Baines (Project Manager for Evidence Base, University of Edinburgh), we designed the Roadblocks on the Path to Innovations Series, which featured 6 seminars held via Zoom in October and November 2021. In each session, we talked a question and engaged with experts to tackle global EDI challenges. These thought-provoking conversations across fields were chaired by early career researchers to facilitate discussion and provide research-informed recommended actions for institutions to create more inclusive research communities and enable world-leading research and innovation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://roadblockseries.eventbrite.co.uk |
| Description | STEM Equals + RKES IAA Funding Call, 8 July 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | STEM Equals was awarded £10,000 of internal funding from the University of Strathclyde's Research & Knowledge Exchange Services (RKES) from the EPSRC funded Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) in support of a workshop titled: Together for a better world: Innovation to address climate change starts with more inclusive STEM communities. STEM Equals facilitated the workshop virtually over Zoom on 8th July 2020. Out of the workshop, academic staff, especially underrepresented staff, were encouraged to apply for funding for up to £10,000 for a project focused on innovative solutions for addressing climate change. Four strong submissions were received and the panel selected one project to receive the funding. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.stemequals.ac.uk/Initiatives/Pump-Priming-Funding |
| Description | STEM Equals Funding Call networking and progress workshop, 28 April 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The PIs and the team members involved in the 11 pump-priming projects enabled through STEM Equals were invited to attend a networking and progress workshop in April 2021. During the workshop, participants delivered short presentations about their project, the progress they had made, and the challenges they had faced so far. The second half of the workshop was dedicated to providing guidance and support for turning the projects into external bids for large scale funded projects. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.stemequals.ac.uk/Initiatives/Pump-Priming-Funding |
| Description | STEM Equals Funding Call networking workshop, 2 April 2020 (originally scheduled for 18 March 2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This workshop was originally scheduled for 18th March 2020 but was rescheduled to 2 April 2020 and held online due to the pandemic. STEM Equals invited applications for up to £5,000 of internal pump-priming funding for collaborative projects that are within the remit of EPSRC's research areas. The funding call and the workshop were open to staff in all Departments in the University. Interested staff were encouraged to attend the STEM Equals Funding Call workshop. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.stemequals.ac.uk/Initiatives/Pump-Priming-Funding |
| Description | STEM Equals launch celebration 28 October 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Attendance: 100 guests including research students, academics, industry professionals, funders, community leaders When: Monday 28th October, 3:30pm-5:30pm Where: Technology & Innovation Centre (TIC) at the University of Strahtclyde, 99 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1RD About the event: A panel of speakers will discuss working cultures in STEM, diversity in STEM, and the work that needs to be done to create more inclusive STEM communities within academia and industry. Welcome provided by by Professor Scott MacGregor, Vice Principal, University of Strathclyde Introduction to the EPSRC Inclusion Matters initative provided by Laura Watkin Speakers: Professor Becky Lunn, MBE, Professor and Head of the Centre for Ground Engineering and Energy Geosciences, University of Strathclyde Professor Ijeoma F. Uchegbu, Pro-Vice Provost, Africa and The Middle East, Chair in Pharmaceutical Nanoscience, UCL Dr Ben Britton, Senior Lecturer, Deputy Director, Centre for Nuclear Engineering, Lead, Experimental Micromechanics Group, Imperial College London Dr Brynley Pearlstone, Physicist and founder/host of SciCurious podcast Alasdair E Henderson, Global Director HR Business Partnering, BAM Nuttall Zoë Davidson, PhD student, Physics, and founder of Equality, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Physics, University of Strathclyde |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stem-equals-launch-celebration-tickets-70614990337# |
| Description | STEM Equals visit at Durham University, 6-7 February 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Visit at Durham University to liaise with another Inclusion Matters project, and to hold meetings with colleagues working in EDI and learn from some of their best practices. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | STEM Equals visit at Imperial College London, 15 November 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Visit at Imperial College London to hold meetings with colleagues working in EDI and learn from some of their best practices. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | STEM Village Symposium 2020, 28 August 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Dr Jessica Gagnon and Dr Marco Reggiani joined the Equity and Advocacy Panel Discussion during the STEM Village Symposium 2020. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://thestemvillage.co.uk/ |
| Description | STEMM Change Annual Conference 14 November 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | STEM Equals presented about our project, focusing on creating more inclusive STEM communities |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stemm-change-annual-conference-tickets-62298681032 |
| Description | Scottish Research Partnership In Engineering (SRPe) Conference: STEM Equals presentation 13 November 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | STEM Equals gave both a poster and an interactive oral presentation at the Scottish Research Partnership In Engineering annual conference |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.strath.ac.uk/whystrathclyde/news/scottishresearchpartnershipinengineeringconference/ |
| Description | See Yourself in STEM, April-May 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | STEM Equals was awarded funding as a partner with Glasgow Life/Glasgow Libraries for a project titled See Yourself in STEM. This was a new partnership and the funding was awarded to Glasgow Life by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLiC) as the grant holders with the total value of the grant at just over £20,000. The purpose of the project was to enable students, particularly those from groups underrepresented in STEM, to engage with science and technology around climate change through research and hands-on science activities to inspire them to consider a STEM career path. Six groups of pupils from three Glasgow Secondary Schools, Smithycroft Secondary, All Saints Secondary, and Shawlands Academy, participated in the project. We recruited and trained18 Glasgow-based STEM Researcher Role Models to participate as volunteers in the See Yourself in STEM project. The role models included academic staff, postdoctoral researchers, PhD students, and undergraduates from a wide range of STEM subjects. The researchers included many from groups that are underrepresented and marginalised in STEM. This was an intentional choice in order to challenge stereotypes about people working in STEM. Feedback from researcher role models, school librarians, and pupils was encouraging and mostly positive, and we plan to replicate this initiative in the future. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.stemequals.ac.uk/Initiatives/See-Yourself-In-STEM |
| Description | Take PRIDE in research and innovation - Marco's story (Marco Reggiani, STEM Equals Project) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Dr Marco Reggiani was featured as a contributor on the UKRI website for the campaign 'Take PRIDE in research and innovation'. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.ukri.org/our-work/supporting-healthy-research-and-innovation-culture/equality-diversity-... |
| Description | Thriving Together: Creating more inclusive research communities through the research management relationship |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | In September 2021, the STEM Equals team was invited to design and facilitate the Thriving Together workshop by Prosper - a project looking at postdocs' career development led by the University of Liverpool, in partnership with the University of Manchester and Lancaster University, and funded by the Research England RED fund.The workshop examined the benefits and challenges of engaging in the work necessary to create fully embedded inclusive policies and practices and, together with participants, we explored strategies for improving policies and practices to create more inclusive research communities. Since then, the workshop has been delivered and/or adapted for additional partners in the sector including the ASPIRE Programme led by Manchester Metropolitan University (June 2022) and the University of Sheffield (October 2022). In 2023, we are planning to deliver additional workshops for the ASPIRE Programme and Durham University. Other HE institutions expressed their interest in this workshop, and we are currently working to run it again with other partners in the sectors, including the University of Sheffield and Manchester Metropolitan University. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022,2023 |
| Description | Universities Scotland Researcher Development and Training Committee Conference: STEM Equals presentation 4 November 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | STEM Equals presented a poster |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Vitae Researcher Development International Conference 16 September 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Poster abstract (up to 150 words) STEM Equals is a four year, mixed methods research and impact project at the University of Strathclyde focused on women and LGBT people in STEM in both academia and in industry. The project will focus on working cultures within higher education and industry, including better understanding and addressing systemic inequalities faced by women and LGBT staff in STEM disciplines. There is potential for local, national, and global impact from the project findings (within and beyond higher education). The project is one of eleven funded by EPSRC for Inclusion Matters, focused furthering equality, diversity and inclusion in Engineering and Physical Sciences research, and the University of Strathclyde provided matched funding. The project industry partner is BAM Nuttall. Find STEM Equals on Twitter: https://twitter.com/STEMEquals and, launching in October, the project website will include profiles, blog posts, podcasts, interactive content, and updates from the ongoing research: www.stemequals.ac.uk Aims of poster (bullet points up to 50 words) • To provide an overview of the STEM Equals project • To convey the aims and scope of the project • To share the research and evaluation plans for the project • To encourage collaboration and networking between the STEM Equals team and other project teams or individuals interested in inclusion and diversity How will the poster add value for delegates? (up to 100 words) The poster will provide an opportunity for delegates to learn more about the STEM Equals project, to ask questions about the aims and objects of the project, and to share ideas and best practices with the project team through discussions about the poster. Presenting the poster will enable connections to be made between similar projects and may provide opportunities for collaboration with other institutions and other research teams engaged in similar inclusion and diversity research and initiatives. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.vitae.ac.uk/events/past-events/vitae-researcher-development-international-conference-201... |
| Description | WiE+ presents Ethical Engineering: Intersectionality and Inclusion in STEM, 2 December 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Dr Marco Reggiani was invited to join a panel discussion during the 'WiE+ presents Ethical Engineering: Intersectionality and Inclusion in STEM' Event organised by the Strathclyde Women in Engineering student group. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |