Activities and collaborations

How we are improving inclusion and diversity and how to get involved

Featured activities

Broadening Horizons in the Chemical Sciences

Supporting students and graduates from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds to pursue careers in the chemical sciences.

Inclusion and Diversity Prize

Recognising individuals or teams that have improved the accessibility, inclusivity and diversity of the chemical science community.

Prize

Board of Trustees Reporting Committees

These Committees are key bodies concerned with policy, regulations and resources.

Keeping gender on the agenda

The Royal Society of Chemistry has joined WISE, the campaign for gender balance in STEM, and 20 other organisations to drive gender equality.

Article

Inclusion and diversity in peer review

Building a fairer landscape for the scientific community ensures that impactful research can come from anywhere and anyone.

Our collaborations

WISE

We are involved in several ongoing collaborations with WISE, the campaign for gender balance in STEM. Last year we ran a joint event called ‘Advancing the gender pay gap’. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic we joined WISE and 20 other organisations in signing a joint statement, and are now pooling our resources in order to continue to drive gender equality – which is needed now more than ever.

Daphne Jackson Trust

We support the Daphne Jackson fellowship scheme, a unique fellowship designed to return STEM professionals to their careers after a break. Fellows normally carry out their research part-time over 2 years, in a university or research establishment in the UK. The Fellowships are flexible and include a tailored training programme designed to update skills and knowledge and support you in your return to research.

LGBT+ Network

In collaboration with the IOP and the Royal Astronomical Society, we formed the “LGBT+ physical sciences network”, a mailing list and network of LGBT+ scientists and allies in the fields of physics, astronomy and chemistry and associated sciences.

We surveyed the LGBT+ community in the physical sciences to collect evidence of what the current climate is like for LGBT+ physical scientists in the UK and Ireland. The online survey collected data from those working, teaching or studying in a physical sciences field who identify as LGBT+ or allies. The results of the study will be published in early 2019.

Athena Forum

We are members of the Athena Forum, an independent committee established to inform the wider debate on diversity in STEMM. The current focus of the committee is on workload allocation models in higher education.

Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine Disability Advisory Committee (STEMM-DAC)

We are members of STEMM-DAC, a cross-STEMM collaborative group of professional bodies and learned societies that promotes inclusion of disabled people in STEMM education and employment.

Science Council

Science Council and Royal Academy of Engineering Diversity and Inclusion Progression Framework

We are actively using the Progression Framework to benchmark and advance inclusion and diversity within our own organisation. We are members of the Progression Framework steering group.

All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG)

APPG on Diversity and Inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths

We are sponsors and supporters of this All-Party Parliamentary Group that aims to promote the inclusion and progression of people from diverse backgrounds in STEM, and to encourage government, parliamentarians, academics, businesses and other stakeholders to work towards a STEM sector that is representative of the population.