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School of Physics and Astronomy

Equity, diversity and inclusion

We're committed to providing a friendly and welcoming environment for all of our staff and students, promoting equity, diversity and inclusion throughout our School.

Our active Equality and Diversity Committee has established a number of initiatives to help ensure that all staff and students feel supported to reach their full potential.

Athena Swan Silver Status and Juno Champion Status

The Athena Swan Charter is a framework used across the globe to support and transform gender equality within higher education and research.

We're extremely proud to be the first university in Wales to achieve both Athena Swan Silver status and Institute of Physics Project Juno: Champion status.

Our list of Actions proposed to improve our workplace in relation to equity, diversity and inclusion is detailed in our Athena Swan Juno Action Plan.

Athena Swan Juno Action Plan

Athena Swan June Action plan

Download document (PDF, 138.6 KB)

If this document cannot be read by your assistive software, you can request an accessible version by emailing web@cardiff.ac.uk. Please include the assistive tools you use and the format you require.

Addressing the current gender imbalance in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects is one of our priorities. We constantly monitor our gender and ethnicity balance in areas ranging from undergraduate admissions to the number of female seminar speakers with the aim of identifying and tackling any barriers to women.

We also support  TWiSTEM (Trevithick Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), a networking group for women on our Trevithick campus in our School and the Schools of Engineering and Computer Science.

Accessible learning

We provide assistance to students with a diverse range of needs, from Special Learning Disabilities (SpLD) and disabilities requiring additional cognitive support to physical disabilities and sight or hearing loss.

All of our lecture theatres, offices and laboratories are wheelchair accessible and we have Disability Advisers within the School to provide advice and guidance on the range of services available.

We also actively support the Cardiff University Inclusive Education Project, supporting and advising on the EDI part of the Education Development Toolkit.

LGBT+ community

Cardiff University strives to improve the experience of our LGBT+ staff and students, and we have been continually recognised for our efforts. There is a student LGBT+ Association, a Cardiff University LGBT+ Society (CU Pride) and a very active staff and postgraduate network called ‘Enfys’ (Welsh for ‘Rainbow’).

Widening access

We believe that it is important to ensure that the University is accessible to all groups in the community and that opportunities are available to those traditionally under-represented in higher education.

We recognise the benefits of having a talented and diverse student community and we are committed to ensuring equal opportunities for everyone.

We aim to improve diversity and widen access to university by:

  • undertaking a wide range of engagement activities for schools to inspire young people and encourage them to continue to study physics and astronomy, and to consider it as a career;
  • recruiting a diverse community of students and we welcome applications from students of all backgrounds;
  • providing help and support to our students to enable them to succeed and reach their full potential.

Dignity at work

Our dedicated Equity, Diversity and Inclusion team work hard to make sure our School is a welcoming and friendly place. Our network of Dignity at Work (DaW) advisers are trained to provide advice to any staff members with concerns, while those of us with rainbow lanyards also identify as providing a safe space for discussing LGBT+ related issues.

Our current Dignity at Work advisors are (details of when and how to contact them are here):

  • Juan Pereiro Viterbo (Reader)
  • Wendy Sadler (Reader)
  • Andreas Papageorgiou (Research Associate)
  • Keiko Kokeyama (Senior Lecturer)
  • Jerome Cuenca (Research Associate)
  • Lorenzo Mugnai (Research Associate)

Flexible working

We welcome applications for flexible working and operate a core-working hours model where all important meetings are held between 10am and 4pm. We have a School returners scheme for study leave for those who have had a period off work due to caring responsibilities or ill health.

Through flexible working arrangements, we aim to enable staff to achieve an appropriate work/life balance, obtain professional development qualifications, and consider the need to care for dependents or young families. Our past case studies demonstrate some specific circumstances where we've been able to support staff and students.

Research leave

Our university-wide research leave scheme is available to all staff and provides funding for teaching cover during periods of 6-12 months, focusing on generating high-quality publications and/or impact.

Returning from leave

We offer staff returning from periods of long-term leave additional support and flexibility to minimise the impact of extended leave on the delivery of their duties. This allows them to refresh their skills, knowledge and confidence which enables continued career development.