The Babraham Institute holds a silver Athena SWAN award, which was renewed under the expanded Athena SWAN charter in 2018. The Babraham Institute was one of the first independent research institutes to secure an award at this level.
The Athena SWAN Charter recognises commitment to advancing equality in careers in and around higher education. The Charter was launched in 2005 to support women's careers in science and related fields. The charter's remit was significantly expanded in 2015 to include support roles, other academic fields and equality for all genders. The Charter believes that an organisation must have institutional support and underpinning institutional good practice, policies and procedures in place in order to achieve and sustain an award.
Babraham Institute Athena SWAN application
Babraham Institute Athena SWAN action plan
Babraham Institute Athena SWAN extension plan 2022 - 2024
Request for extension to Silver Athena Swan Charter Award
Following our involvement in LIBRA (Leading and Innovative measures to achieve gender Balance in Research Activities), a European Commission funded project which brought together ten research institutes in life sciences from ten European countries to address gender inequalities, we became a founding member of the EU-Life Gender Equality Working Group. The GEWG aims to continue LIBRA’s work and is focusing on tackling bullying and harassment and promoting career progression for female postdocs.
We are also members of the Recruitment and Training Working Group which works to ensure continuing professional development for researchers at all stages of their careers, address administrative barriers to mobility, and define best practices in terms of salaries/grants/social security and employment contracts – with a special focus on postdocs.
EDIS is a coalition of organisations from all sectors of science and health including academia, funders, industry, and associations who are committed to working collaboratively to advance equality, diversity, and inclusion in our field. As a member of EDIS, the Institute is helping to work towards a future where everyone has equal opportunities and access to successful careers within the science and health sectors. By working together, the members of EDIS can share their knowledge and experiences while also leveraging greater power to influence key issues on a wider scale.
Since April 2016, the Institute has been an accredited Disability Confident Employer following two years as Disability Confident Committed and an assessment process. The scheme helps us ensure we are drawing from the widest possible pool of talent and provides advice on attracting, recruiting and retaining disabled employees.