Chemistry celebrates third consecutive Athena Swan Gold Award

Imperial’s Department of Chemistry has achieved Athena Swan Gold status for the third consecutive time, reaffirming its position as a national leader in equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in higher education.

The department was awarded the Gold status in 2013 and is still today one of two Chemistry Departments in the country to achieve this.  

We spoke with Dr Nazila Kamaly, Associate Professor in Synthetic Biomaterials & Nanomedicine and EDI Co-Director for Chemistry, who led and wrote the latest Gold renewal application, about what this milestone means for the department, the people behind it and what lies ahead. 

What does this recognition mean to you and to the department? 

It’s a truly incredible achievement - something we’re very proud of as a community. To hold Athena Swan Gold since 2013 shows that inclusion isn’t a passing initiative for us; it’s part of our culture. 

For me, this award reflects how we’ve built and maintained a positive environment for everyone in Chemistry. It’s not just a “tick-box” or symbolic gesture. The Athena Swan process is grounded in evidence: we look at data trends, listen to our community through surveys and identify where we’re doing well and where we need to improve. 

Over the past decade, the data has consistently shown an upward trend. That tells us that the steps we’re taking, from improved recruitment and retention to better wellbeing and work–life balance, are making a measurable difference. 

What makes it particularly meaningful is that this is a community achievement. It’s not just women pushing for change; it’s everyone in the department, staff and students alike, working towards a shared goal. 

What do you think has enabled Chemistry to maintain Gold status for so long? 

Active listening has been at the heart of it. We genuinely listen to our community through departmental surveys, focus groups, committee discussions and informal conversations, and we act on what we hear. 

We’ve also been adaptable. Our five-year action plan is a live document; it evolves as circumstances change. For example, the pandemic forced us to rethink how we connect and support one another. We didn’t just pause our EDI work; we adapted it to new realities. 

But perhaps the most defining factor is our strong culture of allyship. Equality and inclusion are seen as shared responsibilities. A good example is our menopause awareness training: many of the attendees are men, which shows that the mindset has shifted. It’s not a “women’s issue”; it’s about understanding and supporting everyone in our community. 

That’s quite unique in STEM, and I think it’s a reflection of how embedded the Athena Swan principles have become in Chemistry’s DNA. 

How have you embedded Athena Swan principles across teaching, research and everyday departmental life? 

Our EDI Committee, which includes colleagues from all job families and student levels has been integral to this work. They’ve helped ensure that EDI isn’t siloed; it’s woven into everything we do, from curriculum design to recruitment and staff development. 

To hold Athena Swan Gold since 2013 shows that inclusion isn’t a passing initiative for us; it’s part of our culture. Dr Nazila Kamaly Associate Professor in Synthetic Biomaterials & Nanomedicine

One of our most successful initiatives has been the EDI Training Badge Scheme, which recognises individuals who engage with equality and diversity learning. It’s become a visible marker of our culture. When you see those gold badges around the department, you know inclusion is more than just policy - it’s practice. 

We also launched iCHEM (Inclusive Chemistry), which I’m particularly proud of. Coming out of the pandemic, we realised that gender equality alone wasn’t enough, we needed a platform that represented everyone. iCHEM brings together activities and communications that celebrate openness across gender, race, disability, neurodiversity and LGBTQ+ inclusion. It’s been transformative in helping us embed inclusion at every level of departmental life. 

Were there any challenges or lessons learned along the way? 

We’re not perfect; there’s always room for improvement. One of the biggest practical challenges is data collection. Getting accurate, consistent data from university systems, aligning it with our internal records and analysing it in a meaningful way takes a huge amount of work. My colleague Dr Francesco Aprile, also a co-EDI Director in the department has done a fantastic job leading that effort, sourcing and compiling all the data we needed for our Athena Swan renewal application. Rob Bell, the College’s Athena Swan Coordinator has also been really helpful in providing data. Another challenge is maintaining engagement within our community. Since the pandemic, workloads have grown and people’s time is stretched. We’ve had to think carefully about how to encourage participation in events, training and discussions without adding pressure. The badge scheme helps by giving people visible credit for their involvement. 

The most persistent challenge, and one shared across the sector, is the underrepresentation of women in senior academic roles. Our numbers are strong overall, and we’ve almost doubled the number of female academics since 2013, but we and the rest of the country, still see a lack of parity in senior academic roles. 

We’re addressing this through more active recruitment: reaching out to women scientists and encouraging them to apply, offering mentorship and addressing confidence gaps. When we get to a 50/50 gender balance at shortlisting stage, we know we’re giving ourselves the best chance to achieve real parity. 

You mentioned inclusivity as a guiding principle. Can you expand on that? 

When I became EDI Co-Director, I wanted to move beyond gender-only initiatives. Inclusivity means ensuring that every voice is heard, whether that’s a student, a postdoc, an academic or a member of our professional staff. 

It also means recognising that sometimes, even well-intentioned gender-focused initiatives can make others feel excluded. With iCHEM, our message is simple: everyone belongs here. Whether it’s about disability, neurodiversity, ethnicity or gender identity, we want Chemistry to be a space where people can bring their full selves to work. 

Finally, what message do you hope this sends to current and future students and staff? 

That equality and inclusivity in STEM are achievable and sustainable. We’re a physical sciences department with near gender parity in all student populations, which is something quite rare in our field. But beyond the numbers, I hope the message is that Chemistry is a community, one where everyone is valued, supported and encouraged to succeed. 

When people feel they belong, creativity and collaboration flourish. And that’s ultimately what drives world-class research and teaching.