1. Bronze award
Bronze awards recognise that the institute has a solid foundation for eliminating gender bias and developing an inclusive culture that values all staff. This includes:
a thorough self-assessment including quantitative and qualitative evidence
identify both challenges and opportunities
Four-year action plan
the development of a structure to carry proposed actions forward
Now – the criteria for each award level whether you are applying under the old charter or the new charter:
Bronze departments [READ SLIDE]
This requires an assessment of gender equality in the department, including quantitative data (so staff and
student data) and qualitative evidence (so what are the policies, practices, systems and arrangements in place)
= an identification of key issues - both the challenges and opportunities. The panel are looking for an honest assessment.
= and a plan that builds on this assessment, so bronze departments must have an organisational structure, including a self-assessment team, to carry the proposed actions forward

2. Good practice examples
The Pirbright Institute Trans employees may select Mx as a title and choose between male/female/other for gender identification.
These are all post-May/expanded successful applications.
We do not publish successful applications, but we do publish successful applicants in our awards booklets online (there is a link at the end of this presentation). Thus, we encourage people to get in contact with successful departments and institutions to share good practice and

3. Silver award
In addition to the future planning required for Bronze recognition, Silver awards recognise that the institute has taken action in response to previously identified challenges and can demonstrate the *impact* of these actions. Institutes need to demonstrate how Athena SWAN is well embedded within the institution with strong leadership in promoting the charter principles and should evidence the impact of Athena SWAN activities.
A silver department must show a significant record of activity and achievement. They must show the impact of actions they have taken.
Now proving that you’ve taken action may not be too difficult- you can list all the things you’ve done or you can present your previous action plan detailing what has been completed. But that alone won’t get you a Silver.
Impact is the key phrase here. You can successfully complete the action – but if things haven’t improved as a result of that action, that definition of success becomes meaningless. For example, “as a result of X, the outcome was Y”. Focus on OUTCOMES rather than PROCESSES.
I do have to frequently remind that the aim of participating in AS isn’t to win awards, or tick off every action in an action plan, it is to make things better. That being said, impact might not be terribly dramatic and we aren’t expecting to see anything groundbreaking, but panellists are looking for ways you can quantify and evidence things like (‘It feels friendlier here’) – this is often where qualitative data can be helpful.
The main thing to remember, is that where you see positive changes, show us what actions you took that led to this change, and the evidence that it was those actions specifically.

4. Good practice examples
Institute of Cancer Research ‘Stopping the clock’ – Any period of maternity leave is discounted from the time-limit that post-docs, ICR fellows and tenure track faculty can be employed at the ICR.
Babraham Institute
The creation of a formal job-share between two postdoctoral students with caring responsibilities.
These are both pre-May

5. Ways to measure impact Staff numbers Representation Take-up
Qualitative data
Applications
I’d like to talk a little bit more about impact, and ways that you can measure and evidence impact.
So firstly, staff (or student) numbers. if you can show an increase in the numbers of female staff overall, especially in higher grades, that is amazing. But it may not be possible to make significant changes over a 3 or maybe even a 5 year period - and that doesn’t rule you out of the running for a silver if you can demonstrate impact in other ways.
Another area you might make an impact is in representation- so a greater representation at higher staff grades through recruitment or promotion, or on decision making committees, or in other important roles. It might mean a shift in where women are represented towards positions of the most influence, or away from administration if they were previously overburdened with this.
You might improve take-up, take-up of training, of appraisals, of mentoring, of paternity leave and flexible working.
There is also a big opportunity to show impact through qualitative data, when you can compare it to previous staff consultation where you can track the feedback, so for instance is there an improvement in the:
Reported usefulness of appraisals, promotions briefings, training courses
Awareness of particular policies
Positive feedback for maternity or flexible working
Feeling the culture is friendlier
Applications- so you may not have increased the percentage of staff who are senior lecturers - either through recruitment or promotion, but if you have put in place actions designed to increase applications to jobs and for promotion, you can show that these have been effective- and you now need to formulate actions to convert those applications into members of staff.
What is really, really crucial about demonstrating impact is that you can tie it to your actions! It isn’t just about happy coincidences. We welcome happy coincidences of course, but for it to be noted as impact by the panel, it must be related to activity you have taken.
What’s changed? How is it benefitting underrepresented staff or students?
Any new concerns? How will you improve things further?

6. Gold award
Recognises a significant and sustained record of activity and achievement by the institute in addressing challenges across the full range of the institute and promoting gender equality within and beyond the institute.
A well-established record of activity and achievement
data demonstrating continued impact
Now…going for gold…
[READ SLIDE]

7. Gold award
Gold departments should be *beacons* of achievement in gender equality and should champion and promote good practice and Athena SWAN to the wider community.
Good practice:
John Innes Centre
Successful lobbying of the Norwich Research Park and local land developers to build childcare facilities.
And also, Gold departments should be BEACONS, the guiding lights of research institutes so to say.
They should champions of good practice.

8. Beacon activity Leads others in the institution
Department promotes Athena SWAN and good practice internally and externally
Staff champion and promote activities and principles
Consider the impact of initiatives externally and how initiatives have been embedded.
And beyond impact – I’d like to say more about Beacon activity.
Throughout your application you should:
Demonstrate how the department is a beacon of achievement, including how the department promotes good practice internally and externally to the wider psychology and academic community.
Tell us about how staff and people associated with the department champion and promote Athena SWAN activities and principles.
Consider and explain how the department leads others in the institution toward embedding and promoting the Athena SWAN principles
For beacon activities, consider the impact of initiatives externally and how initiatives have been embedded.
Getting people more involved in gender agenda, identify problem in sector, using experience to help those at beginning of AS process
Good networking and sharing good practice is a good start