Cambridge Clinical School successfully renews Silver Award for Athena Swan Charter

The University of Cambridge School Of Clinical Medicine, based at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and part of the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre partnership, has been awarded the Athena Swan Charter Silver Award for another five years.

The Athena Swan Charter is a framework used to support and transform gender equality within higher education and research. The Award celebrates good practice and recognises a commitment to making structural and cultural changes to advance gender equality.
 
The NIHR Cambridge BRC’s partnership with Cambridge University Hospitals and the University of Cambridge provides a strong platform to build on the key principles of the Athena Swan Charter for students and research staff. The renewal of the silver award demonstrates Cambridge’s ongoing commitment to gender equality, career progression and opportunities and making sure everyone is made to feel welcome on the biomedical campus.

Director of Organisational Affairs, Nita Forouhi, who led the School’s renewal application, pictured right, said: “The achievement of the Athena Swan Silver-level Award is pleasing indeed as it is a testament to the genuine commitment we give to equality, diversity and inclusion at the Clinical School.
 
“I am grateful to everyone who contributed to the huge effort towards the Silver Award renewal application and beyond that to everyone who is playing their part in improving the culture around our School to reach our ambition of ‘doing great work in a great place to work’. A special thanks is due to our Self-Assessment Team and its Chair, Graham Martin, to our EDI Governance Group members, to Caroline Newman and the HR EDI co-ordinators, to Fiona Karet the previous Director of Organisational Affairs and to our Departmental Equality Champions for their tremendous enthusiasm for the equality agenda.
 
“As much as it signifies our current efforts towards gender equality, this Award also means we have much work still to do. We look forward to doing this important work together.”

Professor Miles Parkes, Director of NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, pictured left, said: “I am delighted to hear that our partner, the University of Cambridge School Of Clinical Medicine, has been awarded the Athena Swan Charter Silver Award.

“There are many fantastic initiatives in equality, diversity and inclusion that we can build on together, enhancing the richness of our collective experience and working with people of talent from all backgrounds.

“With our partners, Cambridge University Hospitals and University of Cambridge, the NIHR Cambridge BRC is building a research culture and environment where we can provide opportunities and career progression to all our research staff and make sure everyone is made to feel welcome on our campus.”

Further information on the Athena Swan Charter can be found here.