The Institute of Chemical Biology (ICB) EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) community is diverse and we are passionate about striving for a place of equal treatment and opportunity. There is plenty that can be done, and we are working to improve our commitment and reach each year.
Our strategy places Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at the heart of everything we do in the ICB and we aspire to be proactive and courageous in our efforts to be truly inclusive, by supporting students and staff and removing frameworks and practices that maintain inequality and discrimination. In this context it is important to remember that equality is about recognising that everyone should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential, diversity is about being aware of and valuing differences as openly and as broadly as possible and inclusion refers to the experience of individuals in the ICB CDT.
We deliver training and talks to all ICB CDT students on:
- Unconscious Bias
- Active Bystander
- Equality Diversity and Inclusion
- Reducing Anxiety in Scientific Writing
- Neurodiversity Awareness
- LGBTQ+ Awareness
- Disability Awareness
We also hold Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) training on an annual basis . Students attend an intensive RRI retreat in their first year with the CDT and then attend refresher courses annually in all subsequent years of study. More information on this can be found on our RRI webpages.
During Academic year 2020-21 following the pandemic, we introduced further measures to support mental health and this has included the purchasing of Headspace app, accessi
ble to all our CDT students and CDT staff, and Wellness Packs as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.
We are continuously striving to attract the best talent and we currently work with BBSTEM and FindAPhD to advertise our studentship listings, we also visit local universities and deliver talks to encourage applicants who may not otherwise think to apply.
Alongside this, we do further outreach via offering support to
the local community and partnering with local universities. We continue our efforts through the student application process where we anonymise our applications before selection for interview.
We are committed to:
- Continue to cultivate a community in which everyone feels welcomed and respected;
- Continue to monitor and modify our recruitment processes to ensure they are fair;
- Continue to develop outreach activities and strategies to encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds;
- Welcome suggestions and feedback on new initiatives and translate these into actions;
- Continue to work closely with colleagues to ensure that all staff and student interactions are always respectful and unbiased;
- Continue to liaise and develop initiatives with the department EDI committee;
- Ensure that all students upon entry to the CDT and management board members undertake Unconscious Bias, Active Bystander and Equality Diversity and Inclusion training as a minimum, and continue to introduce updated training schemes.
We are passionate about EDI and the majority of our CDT Management are representatives on the Department of Chemistry EDI Committee and the majority are also Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) whom you can contact for any concerns you may have as an ICB CDT student:
- Dr Laura Barter, Director of the ICB CDT; MHFA, EDI Gold Badge
- Dr Rudiger Woscholski, Deputy Director of the ICB CDT; MHFA, EDI Gold Badge
- Dr Nick Brooks, Deputy Director of the ICB CDT; MHFA, EDI Gold Badge
- Professor Ed Tate, Deputy Director of the ICB CDT; EDI Bronze Badge
- Emma Pallett, ICB CDT Project Manager; EDI Committee, MHFA, EDI Gold Badge
- Hannah Cameron, CDT Education and Liaison Manager; MHFA, EDI Gold Badge
- Dr Mike Ray, Head of Research Student Training; EDI Committee, MHFA, EDI Gold Badge
We welcome your suggestions and feedback on new initiatives and actions we can take. As your community, we are here to support you, please don’t hesitate to contact us about any concerns you may have. Don’t forget there are many resources available at Imperial College London, some of which are listed below:
- https://www.imperial.ac.uk/equality/
- https://www.imperial.ac.uk/student-support-zone/
- https://www.imperial.ac.uk/equality/support-for-students/
- https://www.imperial.ac.uk/equality/governance/strategy/
The CDT is also committed via the memberships of our institutes to Athena SWAN awards, which operate at College and departmental level, the Race Equality Charter, Imperial’s participation in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, and the College’s status as a Disability Confident Employer.
