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NHLI Athena SWAN

28th 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.

» 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

Progress so far…

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

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…

Women in Academic Medicine

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…

Visibility of Academic Women

Visibility of Academic Women

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 Contacts page

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?

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?