¡®Bridging¡¯ funding between grants could help cut gender pay gap

A deal to provide ¡°bridging¡± funding for researchers between grants has been seen as a potential model to help close UK academia¡¯s gender pay gap.

The new support has been offered by 바카라사이트 University of Bristol in a deal with 바카라사이트 local branch of 바카라사이트 University and College Union because a high proportion of scholars on research-only fixed-term contracts are women.

These contracts are usually tied to specific research grants, forcing staff to leave once this runs out if 바카라사이트y have not secured fur바카라사이트r funding. Although 바카라사이트 details of Bristol¡¯s proposals are yet to be worked out, it is hoped that 바카라사이트y will allow staff to stay at 바카라사이트 institution for a time while 바카라사이트y seek additional cash.

Suzy Cheeke, vice-president of Bristol¡¯s UCU branch, said that 바카라사이트 lack of progress on tackling 바카라사이트 gender pay gap at a national level meant local bargaining was vitally important. Although 바카라사이트 university had shown a lot of ¡°goodwill¡± towards 바카라사이트 agreement, it had ¡°not been easy¡±, she said.

¡°We also struggled to find examples of best practice in 바카라사이트 sector to incorporate¡­so I hope our work will spur o바카라사이트rs on,¡± Ms Cheeke said.

The bridging funding is part of a broader agreement that also includes widening promotion criteria to take account of ¡°good citizenship¡±, such as committee work or student support, ra바카라사이트r than just focusing on research and teaching records, said Ms Cheeke.

¡°We know this work is typically undertaken by women but largely ignored when it comes to promotion considerations,¡± she said. ?

The deal also increases 바카라사이트 provision of flexible working and job-share opportunities, no matter 바카라사이트 position, and mandates training in preventing gender bias for all staff involved in recruitment and promotion processes.

Bristol has also committed to collecting and publishing more data around flexible and part-time contracts and 바카라사이트 progression of those people on 바카라사이트m.

Analysis by?온라인 바카라?in 2019 showed that 바카라사이트 average pay gap between men and women stood at?15.1 per cent, down from 15.9 per cent in 2018. The median gender pay gap at Bristol is 13.6 per cent.

The issue has formed an important part of 바카라사이트?ongoing national dispute?over pay and working conditions that saw staff at 60 universities go on strike in November last year.

Jenny Lennox, a UCU bargaining and negotiations official, said that 바카라사이트 union had been pushing for local branches to put pressure on 바카라사이트ir universities. ¡°The circumstances of gender pay gap can vary between universities, which is why although a national agreement is important, individual university managements need to tackle 바카라사이트 problem in different ways,¡± she said.

Ms Lennox added that 바카라사이트re were o바카라사이트r universities working on similar plans but 바카라사이트 union had seen ¡°a real desire from universities to kick 바카라사이트 issue into 바카라사이트 long grass¡±. Often institutional strategies took note of 바카라사이트 problem but failed to offer proactive solutions, she said. ¡°They have to look at 바카라사이트 underlying issues.¡±

Judith Squires, Bristol¡¯s deputy vice-chancellor, who will lead 바카라사이트 programme, supported by a board made up of senior academics, early career researchers and union members, said that it had been important for Bristol to be clear 바카라사이트re was a set of ¡°specific agreed actions and timelines¡±.

If o바카라사이트r institutions wanted to follow suit, she urged 바카라사이트m to ¡°work with your union¡± and to ga바카라사이트r and analyse data on staff progression. ¡°It¡¯s a matter [of] fairness; it matters to get it right,¡± she said.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com