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NHLI Athena SWAN 28 th November 2011 Professor Clare Lloyd and Dr Emma Watson. Athena SWAN – Background. The Athena SWAN Charter is a recognition scheme supported by the UK Resource Centre for Women in science, engineering and technology (SET) and by Equality Challenge Unit .
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NHLI Athena SWAN28th November 2011Professor Clare Lloyd and Dr Emma Watson Imperial College Londonsdfgafgafga
Athena SWAN – Background • The Athena SWAN Charter is a recognition scheme supported by the UK Resource Centre for Women in science, engineering and technology (SET) and by Equality Challenge Unit. • It aims to assist the recruitment, retention and progression of women in SET. • SWAN is the Scientific Women's Academic Network and consists of a series of Awards at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels for departments and institutions across the UK who can demonstrate good practice.
Athena SWAN – Background • Imperial College London was awarded Silver Status in 2006 • To maintain its silver status, Imperial must demonstrate sustained good practice throughout the University • Schools, Institutes and Departments (SIDs) nominated in November 2008 to submit individual applications
Background for NHLI Nomination • NHLI identified as having major achievements in good practice in recent years • Ideal opportunity to showcase these achievements • Demonstrated clear ability to change for the better • High proportion of female academics within NHLI compared to FoM/Imperial
NHLI and Athena • NHLI Athena Silver SWAN awarded • Submitted May 2009, awarded September 2009 • Only SID in FoM • Joined by School of Public Health in 2010 • Judges • Impressed by consultation process and efforts to engage with all staff • Felt Action Plan was ambitious and may require focussing • Award ceremony commended NHLI for its work with postdocs
Action Plan • Includes short, medium and long term aims • Includes suggestions from staff across the Institute as an outcome from the workshops held in January 09 • Compiled with the Self Assessment Team
Increase recruitment of female scientists • Increase outreach activities to school pupils • Appointment of Institute Lead for Outreach • Professor Sara Rankin • Opportunities communicated through Newsletter, as well as targeted to relevant research groups • NHLI website updated with public engagement section Ongoing…
Increase recruitment of female scientists • Monitor and increase participation of NHLI BSc’s • Marketing leaflets • Incorporate BSc students in NHLI communications, research and social events. • Involvement with students pre-BSc choices Ongoing…
Increase recruitment of female scientists • Monitoring of studentship applications and recruitment • NHLI Foundation • BHF Centre of Research Excellence • Individual studentships Ongoing…
Women in Academic Medicine • Long-term aspirational aim to increase representation of female clinical academics within the Institute • FoM-led research into existing roadblocks for women in clinical academia • Women in clinical academia day • Current clinical academics • Research-inactive clinicians Pending…
Women in Academic Medicine • Increase recruitment of clinical research fellows • NHLI presentation at: • British Cardiovascular Society • British Thoracic Society • Deanery training days • NHLI Open Evening for clinicians • Successful London pilot – May 2011 • UK-wide event – 2012 • To include women-orientated specific sessions Ongoing…
Visibility of Academic Women • Photography of NHLI students and academics, with particularly attention to female scientists • Increase visibility of women scientists in any NHLI communications • NHLI Website • BHF Centre of Research Excellence brochure and website • Postgraduate handbook • Clinical Research Fellow booklets • Etc Ongoing…
NHLI Information • Creation of an NHLI-specific induction information pack given to all new starters • To include: • Who’s who (including Institute Lead for Women, key Institute Administration staff, Research Managers, HR Contacts, etc) • Structure of the Institute • Also circulated to current staff Pending…
NHLI Information • Email to all new academics (including honoraries) with contact, research and marketing information • Targeting junior and new academics for networking and publicizing opportunities • New NHLI contacts page on website and on administrator out-of-offices • http://www1.imperial.ac.uk/nhli/contacts/ Ongoing…
NHLI Information • Highlighting and circulating relevant pieces of information to groups and sections: • NHLI Newsletter • Elsie Widdowson Fellowships • NHLI Foundation Travel Awards, incl. caring responsibilities • Flexible working policy • Professional development events • NHLI induction information pack Ongoing…
NHLI Information • Increase communication of the promotion process • Traditionally sent to Heads of Sections within NHLI • Workshops identified: • Not always communicated downwards • Not systematically discussed by academic line manager • Administration streamlined • Sent to NHLI full distribution list • NHLI checklist Ongoing…
Committees and Management Roles • Ensure appropriate representation of women on committees and in key Institute management roles • E.g. Director of Postgraduate Studies, Tutors, IT, Health & Safety, Management Advisory Committee, Heads of Sections, etc • To include appropriate rotation of key positions, committee memberships, etc Ongoing…
Elsie Widdowson Fellowships • Marketing of scheme • In liaison with Institute Lead for Women, administrators and HR. • Successful NHLI applications • Two successful • Including the first clinical academic within Imperial • A further three in process • Including two new clinical recruits Ongoing…
Flexible Working Policy • Ensure NHLI wide knowledge of Imperial’s flexible working policy • Emphasise NHLI’s support of flexible working Ongoing…
Postdoctoral Travel Fellowships • Postdoctoral Travel Fellowships for NHLI Postdocs • Extra funding available to cover caring responsibilities • Funding secured • Two successful rounds • Next round opening December 2011 Ongoing…
NHLI Academic Mentors • Establishment of an NHLI academic mentoring scheme • Separate from the probationary scheme • Structured to provide training and support for both mentors and mentees • To facilitate career planning and professional development • Ensure balanced participation • Gather feedback to ensure not a ‘box ticking’ exercise • FoM led mentoring scheme • Felt that NHLI too small – must be cross-College • Speed mentoring events set up centrally • Rethink? Pending…
Interim Professional Development Day • Interim support while mentoring scheme is set up • Available to all NHLI academic staff • To facilitate career planning and professional development • Confidential and voluntary • Hearsay feeling that academic staff reluctant to take part • Learning and Development Centre run Academic Coaching • Rethink? Pending…
NHLI Annual Report • Generation of an annual report to showcase the development of the Institute • Progress of the Action Plan • Achievements • Deliverables Pending…
What next? • Open meeting – Today • Update on progress • Feedback • Ideas • Involve all • Launch renewal process • 12 months to go
The submission process • Questionnaire • Fact-finding • To include review and update of staff survey • Workshops • Launch January 2012 • All NHLI staff and students invited to attend • Targeted at all academic levels, from UG BSc Students to Professors • Self-assessment team
Self Assessment Team • Includes men and women: • With personal experience of balancing home/caring responsibilities and work/part time/flexible working/career breaks • From a dual career family • With recent experience of the Institute’s recruitment and/or promotion processes • At different stages on the career ladder and particularly from those in early and mid career • With Institute or management responsibilities
The submission process • Athena meetings • Regular meetings? • Institute-wide open meeting prior to submission • Share good practice • Within Imperial • Throughout the UK • Liaise closely with Trusts • DoH advised that BRUs/BRCs renewals not considered in future if not linked to Athena Silver SWAN academic departments • RBHFT/NHLI BRUs renewed • ICHNT BRC renewed • Link back to NHLI Clinical Academia aims
The submission process • Silver submission • ‘Maintaining and above’ • Focusing of Action Plan • May or November 2012 • Gold submission • ‘Culture change’ • Aspiration – November 2012 or May 2013?
Updating you • Updates to Management Advisory Committee • Updates on NHLI website and specific email updates. • Newsletter updates • Progress review report, including data • January/February 2012
Questions? Magic wands?