The Academy has published a report of diversity data collected across programmes, detailing gender, ethnicity and disability data. This is the third annual report of diversity at the Academy. Until now the report has been considered only by the Academy’s Council, but we are delighted to share the report more widely this year.
Report highlights
- In 2017 we elected our highest number of women fellows to date (37%), increasing the total proportion of women in the Fellowship to 18%.
- This year the number of Fellows on whom we hold ethnicity information has increased from 33% to 81%. The new data shows that less than 10% of the Fellowship is non-white.
- 4% of the Fellowship regard themselves as having a disability.
- The numbers of women mentors and mentees have increased - mentors up from 23% to 39%, mentees up from 38% to 53%.
- Combined speakers for corporate events have presented an even gender balance
- Our Foulkes Medal has been awarded to a women for the first time this year and the number of female nominees has increased from 25% to 63%.
- We have continued our focus on media training for women Fellows and grant awardees. 60% of the people we put forward for media work in some way were women, although only 45% of those quoted were women.
The type of diversity data we report, and the way we collect and record it, has also developed over the years. Nevertheless, there is still work to do and the Academy team is working hard to standardise information across the programmes and to continue to evolve our data collection practices and processes. This of course supports our wider aim to improve diversity across all areas of our activity and working practices.
The report is presented by the Academy’s Diversity Champions - Professor Dame Jessica Corner DBE FMedSci and Professor Sir Jim Smith FRS FMedSci. The diversity Champions sit on the Academy’s Council. At the time this data was collected Professor Jane Norman FMedSci was serving as a Diversity Champion, before retiring from Council in December 2017.
In addition to regular monitoring and reporting of diversity data the Academy undertakes a number of practical initiatives to encourage diversity and equality of opportunity in biomedical and health research.
- Our SUSTAIN programme supports women researchers to thrive in their independent research careers. It provides an innovative programme of training and support to develop participants’ leadership and career potential.
- Our #MedSciLife campaign brings together personal stories of those working in medical and health research to promote different working practices and explore how passions and achievements outside work can influence careers.
- Since 2014 the Academy has developed and implemented initiatives to increase the number of women scientists commenting in the UK news media. 99 women have now participated in the programme with participants going on to give interviews on the Today programme, BBC News, Woman’s Hour, Telegraph, BBC World Service, The Mirror, The Life Scientific, The Guardian, BBC Health Online and Huffington Post