Description
Organisers: Katrine Glasscock, Marieta Valdivia Lefort, Laura Wolz; co organisers: Dominic Bowman, Andrew Curtis, Karen Devoil, Benjamin Fernando, Farideh Honary, Kirushney Kalamohan, Robert Massey, Nathan Mayne, Ingrid Murray, Jasmine Sandhu, Jane Smith, Matthew Temple, Luis Welbanks
A persistent challenge in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is creating spaces to exchange ideas, share successful initiatives, and start critical conversations that foster meaningful change. The fields of astronomy and geophysics face widespread issues, such as imposter syndrome, balancing family life and the transient nature of research posts, and bullying and harassment. These issues significantly impact the ability to attract and retain diverse scientists and create inclusive workplaces. Addressing these challenges requires evidence-based, localised EDI practices that consider intersectional perspectives and support underrepresented groups, including LGBTQ+, ethnic minorities, disabled, neurodiverse, and first-generation scientists.
This session invites contributions from individuals who have designed and hosted impactful EDI projects or community events, such as EDI forums, EquiTea, and online platforms, aimed at improving equity and accessibility within their institutions. We encourage participants to share best practices for planning, delivery, and evaluation of EDI initiatives, as well as resources to support sustainable change. By showcasing the experiences and successes of our community, we aim to spark meaningful conversations and empower the astronomy and geophysics communities to build more equitable and supportive spaces.
A future for physics and astronomy that is diverse and inclusive requires early interventions to ensure underrepresented groups feel confident, encouraged and empowered to study STEM courses at university. Data shows that A level attainment is a barrier to entering competitive universities, even at institutions that make contextual offers, and that students from disadvantaged and certain...
The International Astronomical Youth Camp (IAYC) is a 3-week camp which has been
broadening the horizons of young adults since 1969. Using astronomy as a medium for
scientific inquiry, the IAYC has effectively engaged with 1000s of participants across more
than 55 camps. The participants range from 16-24 years old and come from a broad range
of backgrounds (e.g. academically and...
Persistent inequities in astronomy and physics continue to marginalise students from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds. In this session, I present the Surrey Physics Academy โ a grassroots initiative designed to widen participation and foster belonging through inclusive, community-driven science education.
Launched in 2022, the Academy delivers co-created summer schools, public...
Students at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics within the University of Manchester have been running EquiTea sessions since 2022, inspired by Ares Osbornโs 2021 NAM talk โCreating EquiTeaโ. We have had over 20 speakers deliver talks or workshops on a range of EDI matters, which are followed by informal discussions about the topics raised. EquiTea has two founding statements: the...
Within Higher Education, the boundary between โresearchโ and โteachingโ is increasingly blurred, given the (well justified) movement towards more authentic research experiences in undergraduate curricula. This contact with research (and researchers) can help undergraduate students develop scientist identities, at a time when they are often making decisions about whether to stay in academia and...
We present the results of the 2023 survey of the demographics and research interests of the UK astronomy and geophysics research community, offering a unique insight into the composition of this workforce. This is the most recent in a series of surveys commissioned by the Royal Astronomical Society dating back to 1988 and is the most recent of the three surveys which have sought detailed...
Astronomy is fundamental to human development, driving technology and innovation while generating knowledge that helps humanity understand the universe (Sturrock et al., 2019). However, women remain significantly underrepresented in this field. While many women leave astronomy, little is known about those who persist and succeed. The purpose of this study was to explore the events, skills,...
Around the globe, homophobia, queerphobia and racism are on the rise. Against this social background, it is imperative that astronomy is a safe space. Yet despite the great work being done across many institutes, astronomers belonging to marginalised groups (such as women, LGBTQ+ individuals, Black people, and people with disabilities) continue to face significant challenges and obstacles to...
In 2022 the last cohort of students in Space Sciences graduated from the University of the Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan. Key issues causing the discontinuation are (1) a perceived lack of paths to employment from such courses and (2) lack of access to state-of-the-art research resources. P-Star is addressing both concerns simultaneously and helping support local experts to kick-start a...
