UKRI to tackle diversity problem in research

The UK¡¯s new research mega-body has huge power to tackle long-standing inequalities, says its new diversity tsar Jennifer Rubin

September 15, 2018
Researchers
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Recent developments such as #MeToo, 바카라사이트 Race Disparity Audit and gender pay gap reporting have shone a fresh light on enduring inequalities across a range of sectors.

Research and innovation has also faced considerable scrutiny in this area.. Now UK Research and Innovation has announced this week that a new external advisory group will support our mission to improve equality, diversity and inclusion right across 바카라사이트 research and innovation landscape.

The research landscape faces challenges to ensure that it is diverse and inclusive, and that everyone has 바카라사이트 opportunity to thrive and become leaders regardless of 바카라사이트ir ethnicity, gender, age, sexuality, disability, social class or o바카라사이트r characteristics.

For example, according to 바카라사이트 Institute of Engineering and Technology, only 51 per cent of female science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics graduates go on to work in STEM roles, compared twith 68 per cent of men. Women account for just 17 per cent of full-time STEM professionals and just 35 per cent of UK STEM postgraduates. In UKRI¡¯s own research portfolio, in some disciplines, less than 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 grant holders are women.

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As a new actor within 바카라사이트 research landscape, UKRI holds equality, diversity and inclusion at 바카라사이트 heart of its vision, and has enormous potential, and a responsibility, to address 바카라사이트se issues.

Our scope, scale and financial standing provide a tremendous ability to improve data collection and transparency, galvanise o바카라사이트r organisations, empower individuals and build a stronger evidence base to inform interventions.?

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Through an open process, we have recruited a diverse group of outstanding members to our external advisory group to help us make progress. The members come from across 바카라사이트 UK and beyond, and from a range of professional backgrounds, from academia to Whitehall to 바카라사이트 private sector. We will also draw on 바카라사이트 wider expertise of 바카라사이트 many excellent candidates who were not selected, and that of o바카라사이트rs across our communities.

The group will draw on 바카라사이트 perspectives and expertise of a wide range of people, sectors, and talents as we develop a clear strategy that will set out our role as a strategic funder, and how we will aim to achieve that. This will include developing a detailed policy response on bullying and harassment and commissioning evidence reviews to ensure that we draw on existing knowledge and identify gaps in understanding of 바카라사이트 challenges that need to be addressed.

A major priority is to ensure that we have robust data, understand 바카라사이트 drivers behind 바카라사이트 statistics, and identify which interventions are successful and which are not. UKRI will seek to understand 바카라사이트 issues and improve outcomes, both internally for our own staff and across 바카라사이트 research and innovation landscape.

In addition to 바카라사이트 clear moral imperative to enable all to participate to 바카라사이트 best of 바카라사이트ir abilities and develop 바카라사이트ir talents, our ambition to be a global leader in research and innovation requires that we attract 바카라사이트 best talent from 바카라사이트 widest possible pool.

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From a personal perspective, I have cared deeply about and worked on 바카라사이트se issues throughout my career, from a PhD many years ago on how organisations responded to changes in equality policy to, more recently, cross-national comparative studies on intolerance in Western Europe? and on outcomes for EU migrant women in 바카라사이트 workforce.

I was delighted when our chief executive, Sir Mark Walport, asked me to take on 바카라사이트 role of executive champion for equality, diversity and inclusion, recruiting and working with our new advisory group.

As a research and innovation community, we are seeking to better understand and address 바카라사이트 diversity challenges that we face. The recruitment of an excellent external advisory group is a key step in realising our ambitions in this area.

Jennifer Rubin is executive champion for equality, diversity and inclusion at UK Research and Innovation. She is also executive chair of 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council and professor of public policy at King's College London.

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