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Equality at the CBU
The MRC CBU has a strong commitment to equality in the workplace. The Equality Committee was formed in June 2009 to promote equality issues at the unit.
STATEMENT FROM THE DIRECTOR
"Here at the Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit our strongest commitment is to excellence in our activities, and one of the ways in which this has to be achieved is by ensuring fairness of opportunity for all our staff and also for those who wish to join us. We are actively engaged in ensuring that this is achieved through robust and transparent procedures and flexible working practices, through both formal and informal support at all career points, and through celebrating and rewarding achievements. The result, we hope, is that both the Unit and individuals who work here fulfil their true potential for conducting and supporting ground-breaking cognitive science."
Susan Gathercole, Director
RESOURCES
If you are onsite at the CBU, you can visit our internal Equality pages which have additional resources, including links to the Equality Committee meeting minutes. If you are an employee of the MRC, you can read about MRC policies regarding maternity/paternity leave, flexible working, etc. on the MRC Portal here.
Although we are not eligible for relevant Equality Awards like Athena Swan (since we are not a higher education institute), we are working towards the goals set by such awards.
If there are any other resources you would like to see on these pages, please contact a member of the Equality Committee.
NEWS
April 2012. CBU Equality Survey
Two years ago, the Equality Committee put together a survey to look at staff and student experiences at the Unit. The answers to this survey provided guidance for Equality Committee resources. The survey will be repeated this year in April. If you are a member of staff or a student at the CBU, please make sure you complete it.
January 2012. CBU Promotions Question & Answer Session
CBU Director Susan Gathercole, Bob Carlyon, and Megan Davies from MRC Centre in Cambridge provide some insight into the internal promotions process at the MRC, and more specifically at the CBU.
October 2011. Athena SWAN silver award will be a requirement for NIHR funding
Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer, announced in late July that it will be a requirement for university departments applying for funding from the National Institute for Health Research to hold an Athena SWAN silver award. Athena SWAN recognises good gender equality practice in SET. This may pave the way for similar such requirements from other funding bodies in the future. Read a short commentary in Nature about the announcement: www.nature.com/nature/journal/v478/n7367/full/478036b.html
May 2011. 'Now, Sometime, Never? Equality for Women in Science'
Prof Paul Walton from the University of York will give a Wednesday Lunchtime Seminar on Women in Science on 4 May at 12.30pm. Paul Walton is Professor in the Department in Chemistry and their department is the only holder of an Athena SWAN Gold Award given for promoting and supporting women in science. Join us for what promises to be a very interesting talk!
April 2011. CBU welcomes its new director!
The CBU welcomes Prof Susan Gathercole as its new director. Sue comes to us from a position as the Head of the Department of Psychology at the University of York, and her research focusses on memory and learning, in both children and adults. Sue is no stranger to the Unit having worked here for several years in the mid-80s. Sue is the Unit's first female director.
March 2011. 'Are Women Changing Science' Debate
Tickets are on sale for the Suffrage Science 'Are Women Changing Science?' Debate on 9 March at 7pm at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London (www.ica.org). Leading scientific researchers and artists will discuss the continuing under-representation of women in science in what promises to be an interesting and engaging evening.
January 2011. CBU Mentoring Scheme is underway.
The mentoring scheme is underway with post-docs acting as mentors to PhD students, and senior scientists acting as mentors to post-docs. This is a rolling scheme so it's never too late to join - speak to a member of the Equality Committee if you are interested in becoming a mentor and/or mentee!
December 2010. Congratulations to Jessica on her new post at the University of Western Ontario.
We bid farewell to Jessica Grahn, who has been chair of the Equality Committee since its inception. Jessica has taken up a faculty position at the University of Western Ontario. We wish her all the best for the future!
November 2010. UKRC educates CBU scientists on unconscious bias.
The UKRC recently paid a visit to the CBU to provide training on unconscious bias for the unit's senior scientists. The UKRC is the UK's leading organisation for advice, services and policy regarding women in science, engineering and technology. More information can be found on their website here.
October 2010. New mentoring scheme to be launched.
A new mentoring scheme is to be launched in November at the CBU. The mentoring scheme will aim to pair final year PhD students with post-docs, and post-docs with senior scientists, to provide general help and advice on career-related issues. Advice for mentors and mentees from a JAMA commentary. Several references within this commentary suggest that mentoring helps boost an individual's career.
July 2010. Chaucer Club achievement.
The Chaucer Club Seminars this year had a 52% female speaker line-up (a first in unit history). Thanks to Matt, Jonathan, and Olaf for organizing a balanced and interesting seminar series! You can find out more about the Chaucer Club Seminar Series and upcoming speakers here.
NEWS ARCHIVE
On 28 October 2009, the CBU held its first Women In Science Symposium. The event, which was motivated by the idea that women in 
science must support and encourage one another, was organised by the CBU's newly formed Equality Committee. The symposium celebrated and showcased women senior scientists who have at some point been associated with the CBU. A packed lecture theatre enjoyed speakers sharing experiences of particular challenges they have faced as women, strategies they have developed to overcome these, insights into things they might have done differently, and suggestions on how to balance family life and career. Speakers included Susan Gathercole, Dorothy Bishop, Anne Cutler, Bundy Mackintosh, Nilli Lavie, Sophie Scott, Karalyn Patterson, Barbara Wilson, Elisabeth Hill, Kim Graham, and Vicki Bruce, as well as Jenny Brookman, chair of the Cambridge AWiSe network. Each speaker had an incredible and unique story to tell, with several themes emerging through the day. These included the tremendous value of practical and emotional support in one's professional and personal life, the beneficial aspects of cultivating self-confidence and the courage to take risks, and the importance of inspirational role models and/or mentors at key stages in one's career. There was general consensus that all women in science, irrespective of stage of career, serve as role models for those who are more junior, and with this comes a certain level of responsibility. It was also emphasized that it is important to be aware of the gender schemas that we all have and how these can undervalue women's contributions to science and disadvantage women from advancing to senior positions.
A detailed report of this very successful day can be found here. Film footage of the event is also available in part one, and part two (for ease of loading).