UCL Institute of Child Health
Athena SWAN – Self-Assessment Team Meeting
7th January 2016, 2:30pm – 4:00pm, Levinsky room, Philip Ullmann Wing, ICH
Present
Professor Shamima Rahman (Chair)
Professor Maria Bitner-Glindzicz
Ms Wendy Knowles
Professor Gudrun Moore
Professor Andy Copp
Ms Aziza Khabbush
Dr Erin Walker
Ms Nicole Hofmans (Minutes)
Dr Philippa Mills
Professor Jenny Morgan
Dr Nikhil Thapar
Professor Rosalind Smyth
Ms Kathy Kennedy
Professor Jane Sowden
Professor Pete Scambler
In attendance
Mr Jacob Ross (data)
Apologies
Dr Mona Bajaj-Elliott
Dr David Carmichael
Dr Ida Ricciardelli
Mr David Ho (PhD Rep)
Dr Steve Hope
Dr Dan Kelberman
Dr Andy Stoker
Dr Sara Mole
1. Apologies and opening comments
SR welcomed Jacob Ross who has been pulling together the staff and student data for the Gold
application. SR also thanked GM for all her work on the SAT. GM will be stepping down from the group
as she has taken up a part-time role as Pro-VP for International Affairs at UCL.
2. Update on actions from the last meeting
MADs
Eight people so far have volunteered to become mentors for returning mums and dads. So far these
were all non-clinical staff. PM had met with IoN to discuss their scheme and she will also be meeting
with some of the mentors at IoN to hear about their experience. She will then look into setting up
training with HR.
Nursing Mothers room and Carers Group
KK reported that the Nursing Mothers room still had to be decorated and refurbished so there was no
date set yet for when this can be opened.
The first meeting of the Carers group will be held on 26th January. This will be a kick-off meeting
whereby participants will be asked to agree a name for the group and discuss what they wish to focus
on at these meetings.
Workload model
MBG will send the draft Workload Model to the Heads of Programmes for comments, before presenting
this to IMT for approval (Feb/March).
Mentoring
NT has drafted the email regarding mentoring to go out. It was mentioned that IoN has set up their own
mentoring and matching scheme tailored to their department’s needs. It was felt that given the numbers
of staff at ICH, staff should be encouraged to sign up to the UCL uMentor Scheme.
Actions:
 PM: oversee setting up of mentoring scheme for returning mums and dads with HR.
 KK: oversee decorating & refurbishment of new Nursing Mother’s room
1 

MBG: workload model to be sent the Heads of Programme for comments & then IMT
(Feb/March).
NT: to send out mentoring questionnaire and encourage ICH PIs to sign up to UCLMentor as
Mentors and postdocs to sign up as Mentees.
3. Feedback from Staff Open meeting (3rd December 2015) & Biosciences Best Practice Event
(11th December 2015)
NH circulate the notes from the Staff Open meeting and Bioscience Best Practice Event in December.
There was discussion on some of the comments from the meetings; particularly around influencing
partners with whom we work closely (e.g. GOSH and Sodexo) on some of our best practices.
One suggestion was to set up an “ICH Athena SWAN Award” that could be given for best practice to an
external partners team who had shown a positive change in working practice.
It was agreed to rename the SAT, which will now be called the “Athena SWAN Steering Group”.
Actions:
 WK to enquire if external contractors are asked about their staff well-being policies before they
are selected as contractors to work within UCL.
 RLS to raise awareness of some of our best practices with GOSH through the Academic
Service Coordinating Group.
 EW to look into the idea of creating an “ICH Athena SWAN Award” for our partner organisation.
4. Application timeline & allocation of lead for each action point
See action points below
Actions:
 SAT: all members will be responsible for writing a part of the application and for ensuring this is
done within the required timeframe; final tasks will be emailed to individuals w/c 11th January
 SAT: all members are required to work towards the timeline as circulated. NB: the first draft text
should be ready by Easter (late March) for SR to review, before this is submitted to HJ at UCL in
June 2016.
5. Data set - to-date analysis
Jacob Ross presented the staff and student data to date (2010-2015):
Staff profile data
 Staff across all Athena SWAN grades** (Research assistant to professor) by gender
It showed:
• Gradual increase in percentage of female professors
• More marked increase in percentage of lecturers and senior lecturers
• Decrease in percentage of female readers (explained by several recent promotions to professor
(shown in next section)
•
Proportions of lower two ASWAN grades (research assistants, postdocs) roughly stable
 Staff promotions
It showed:
• 2009 - 2012
- Few female applications for senior lecturer or reader
- Variable female success rates for professorship
• 2012 – 2015
2 - Higher number of female applicants for senior lecturer or reader
 and high success rates
- High female success rates for professorship
 Staff turnover
It showed:
• Across lower two grades, more female leavers than males
• Reflects higher numbers of females in these positions
• Out of the total numbers of staff, are men or women more likely to leave?
- No particular bias is discernible, although sample sizes are small
• Several professors and readers have left (2011-2014)
- All have taken up positions at other universities
Student data
 Student numbers at undergraduate, masters, PhD levels
 Applications, offers, acceptances
It showed:
• Proportions of male and female students is stable over time
• A bias towards female students (~80% at Masters level; ~70% at PhD level)
• Male and female applicants are equally successful in receiving a place
• Pass rates? Data for the silver application (until 2012/13) suggested no skew in male/female
success rates
** SWAN Grades
1 = Professors
2 = Readers
3 = Senior lecturers or equivalent
4 = Lecturers, senior researchers, teaching fellows
5 = Postdoctoral researchers
includes clinical research associates/fellows on UCL grade CL7 (grade 4 in older notes)
6 = Research assistants
It was agreed that the narrative needed to cover the issue around the Grade 5 SWAN grade.
SR thanked Jacob for all his hard work in pulling together the data and creating the graphs.
Actions:
 JC (New Projects and Programme Manager): data on f/m presentation on recruitment panels
(received from UCL but not yet analysed) and speakers on ICH seminars and events.
 SR has requested benchmarking data from the RCPCH [now received].
6. Allocation of Beacon activities
SR asked SAT members for help with the Beacon outreach activities. Members had been allocated
activities to take forward.
Actions:
 SAT: let NH know of any Beacon activities that you have undertaken or will undertake to be
included in the list.
 SR: put together a set of slides for the Athena SWAN presentations to others that speakers can
use for their visits.
3 

Relevant SAT members: to take forward their allocated Beacon activity.
MBG will ask the Dean and Provost about financial support for Athena SWAN when they are
interviewed for the video.
7. SAT Terms of Reference
Name to be changed to reflect “Steering Group”.
Actions:
 SAT: to let NH know if they do not agree to their task allocation.
8. Visit to York University Biology & Chemistry Departments (Gold Award holders)
SR explained that we have had an invitation from York University to visit their Gold award winning
departments. JM, EW and KK expressed an interest in visiting. Once the date has been set JM will let
people know in case others wish to join as well.
Actions:
 SR to make initial contact and JM to organise the visit.
9. AOB
Filming during February SAT meeting
SR informed the team that filming will take place during the February Steering Group Committee
meeting to use as background footage for the Athena SWAN video. There will be no audio recorded.
Maternity/paternity returners Survey
PM informed the team that the survey was due to go out. To ensure it captured both maternity and
paternity leave returners, the survey should also be sent to programme managers who will have a
better understanding who has returned from leave. It was agreed to date this back to returners from 1
January 2015.
UCL Athena SWAN Fact Sheet
SR asked for comment on the circulated UCL Athena SWAN Fact Sheet as there were a number of
omissions where ICH should have been mentioned.
Actions:
 SAT: provide feedback on Factsheet to SR by 15 January latest.
Date of next meeting
The date of the next meeting is scheduled for 2nd February 2016 14.30-16.00pm in Lower Ground
Seminar Room, ICH.
4