Equality, diversity and women in science: a (single) parent’s perspective Juliet ©Lego

Degree (Natural Sciences) PhD (Amoebae, development; London) Postdoc (Worm neurobiology; Cambridge) Independent Fellowship (Plant development; Cambridge) Lectureship (Bham) Maternity 2008 Senior Lecturer 2015 ….. What do I want to do?? I think I know what I want to do now Relocation: end of relationship Near-meltdown: work overload; health problems Divorce/single parent/more health issues Flexible working, supportive boss Athena SWAN

Take-home messages Don’t worry if you don’t have a plan Go for opportunities that look good even if you are not sure why (gut instinct) Life may well drive your career choices (that’s fine – compromise) If you want a family, go for it (don’t wait or worry about consequences) If you are struggling, talk to your boss If your boss is unsupportive, talk to your E and D champions ***** (I had to set this bit up!).

Data: UoB Biosciences School of Biosciences: ~60% female undergraduates and postgraduates, <20% female professors Attrition – starts after postdoc in terms of NUMBERS Why?

Undergraduates already have different perceptions of academic careers depending on gender 1 st year F students very sensitive to the number (or not) of F lecturers/role models they see on their course 1 st year F students have a more “realistic” perception of how Fs fare in an academic career in terms of promotion Final year F students less likely than M to be exclusively considering an academic career and more likely to be exclusively considering a non- academic career.

Problems faced by women (and carers) in STEM (and academia overall) Maternity leave Time constraints Reduced ability to travel and network Unconscious bias (hiring and evaluation)  Impact on career progression….. Research

Women are less likely to apply for jobs or promotion (UoB Biosciences) Equality champions (All Schools) Awareness-raising at all levels (Biosciences and UoB) Diversity training and unconscious bias training (Biosciences/UoB) Support networks (e.g. UoB Single Parents) Seminar/meeting times 10am-3pm (Biosciences) Data monitoring at all levels (Biosciences and UoB) Family-friendly job adverts (Biosciences) Postdoc researcher career support (PERCAT – Colleges + PDR/mentoring Biosciences) Part-time PhD route (Biosciences) Family-friendly events (Biosciences) Maternity fund for cover /workload remission on return for academic staff (UoB)

Single parents – particular issues Potentially greater time constraints (school holidays, child illness, etc) Part-time/flexible working more likely Reduced ability to travel for work/networking  Greater negative impact on career progression: research, networking, promotion

Challenges/the way forward Workloads Defining a reasonable working week Part-time versus flexible working Promotions – “good all-rounder”; part-time academics Female committee overload Diverse and visible role models Consistency throughout the organisation

Are things getting better? Increased awareness/acceptance of issues Increased communication Technology/social media helps networking, etc.  Cultural change We still have a long way to go…

My personal perspective I gained confidence! Dare to be different Be clear about your priorities and communicate them Talk to your equality champion Embrace the flexibility (harder for postdocs, but not impossible – PDR/mentors) Don’t be put off an academic career