Athena Swan Gold and Silver Awards for University of Limerick

UL's Department of Physics has been awarded an Athena Swan Ireland Gold award for its ongoing commitment to equality and embedding equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) principles throughout the work of the department. 

The Athena Swan Charter is a global framework that recognises higher education institutions, academic departments, and research institutes that put in place initiatives to address gender inequality, including initiatives aimed at changing culture and attitudes. 

In their submission, the Department demonstrated its commitment to collaborative working and relationship building, embedding a culture of outreach, and ensuring a close alignment with University of Limerick's strategic ambitions. 

Advance HE, which administers the awards on behalf of the higher education sector, recognised an ‘innovative and sustainable approach to embedding equality practice that has influenced the physics community’.

The assessment panel commended the Department for its staff's contributions to European and International networks, including the GENERA Network (Gender Equality Network in Physics in the European Research Area) and SOPHia (Science Outreach to Promote Physics). 

Offering congratulations on the award, UL Interim Provost and Deputy President Professor Ann Ledwith said:

"We know that young women aspiring to a career in STEM need role models.

What stands out for me is that despite the relatively small number of female staff, the Department of Physics is committed to ensuring that women are represented on influential committees, and visible through events, communications and role-model promotion to encourage participation across the pipeline. 

"I commend the leadership of Dr Deirdre Ní Eidhin and Professor Tofail Syed who coordinated the Department of Physics application, supported by the Department EDI committee.

Patricia Mannix McNamara, Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion­­, and Human Rights said: “This award recognises the team’s willingness to push boundaries, embrace change, and build an environment where everyone can contribute and succeed. In achieving this gold award, the Department of Physics have forged new ground, setting innovative standards for inclusion that extend well beyond their own Department and indeed our own institution.”

Added to this success is the news that UL's Faculty of Educational and Health Sciences (EHS) have been awarded an Athena Swan Ireland Silver Award. 

Acknowledging the efforts of the Faculty of Educational and Health Sciences, Professor Ledwith continued: 

"The Athena Swan Ireland Silver Award for the Faculty of Educational and Health Sciences reflects building a deep, sustained, impactful and equitable EDI model, committed to advancing equality, diversity, and inclusion and improving contract security and career progression.  

"Congratulations to Dr Petra Elftorp and Hilary Curley and all on the EHS EDI team for your tenacity and leadership in securing this recognition for your faculty.

"The Gold award for the Department of Physics and Silver Award for EHS, reflect UL’s deep and sustained collective commitment to advancing equality, diversity, and inclusion. They bring us a step closer to our shared ambition of being a university of equality. This is a meaningful change in action, and I am proud that UL is a leader in this area. 

"This is a really positive achievement for UL and a great endorsement of how we work and who we are."