| UK Resource Centre for Women in SET |
The UKRC was established in 2004 to deliver a substantial
part of the Government's Strategy for Women in SET (2003). The aim of the UKRC is to increase the participation
and position of women in science, engineering and technology. Its mission is to establish a dynamic centre that provides accessible,
high quality information and advisory services to industry, academia, professional institutes, education and Research Councils within the SET and
built environment professions, whilst supporting women entering, returning and progressing in SET careers.The website contains links to other groups, organisations and websites concerned with women in SET mainly in the UK and other associated interest groups. The Get SET Women database is an online listing of women qualified and/or working in science, engineering and technology. The database will give you access to information and opportunities to help you raise your profile, further your personal development and progress in your career as well as help improve the position of women in the sector. Opportunities include: CPD training, details of public body appointments, speaker and media opportunities, free media training, networking events, mentoring and opportunities to work with schools. The database can be searched online by journalists and event organisers. Sign up online at www.getsetwomen.org.uk. |
| Women Returners |
Return is a new scheme from the UKRC that offers skilled women the opportunity to return to a career in science, engineering, technology or the built
environment. Return offers free information and support services to help women return to SET.
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| Daphne Jackson Trust Fellowships |
The Daphne Jackson Trust arranges Fellowships throughout the UK, in university
and industrial research laboratories,
for qualified scientists, engineers and technologists returning to work after a career break. We enable returners to retrain and gain
the latest knowledge and most up to date skills whilst undertaking a challenging research project. The Fellows are supported throughout
their Fellowships and given all the encouragement and help to re-establish their professional confidence and credibility leading to
significantly increased employability. Fellowships are flexible, paid, and usually part-time for two years. Fellows undertake a
research project and retraining programme. Applications are welcomed throughout the year. If you would like any more information
phone 01483 689166, email djmft@surrey.ac.uk or look at the website:
www.daphnejackson.org. |
| Other Academic Grants and Fellowships |
| The Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship scheme offers a recognised
first step into an independent research career for excellent scientists and engineers for whom career flexibility is essential. Fellows
can hold the appointment on a part-time basis or convert from full-time to part-time and back again to help match work and other
commitments such as parental or caring responsibilities, serious health issues etc. For details on eligibility and how to apply,
see the website. The Leverhulme Trust, established at the wish of William Hesketh Lever, the first Viscount Leverhulme, makes awards for the support of research and education. The Trust emphasises individuals and encompasses all subject areas. The website, Research Councils UK, provides links to all eight UK Research Councils. Information on how to write a grant application can be found in this powerpoint presentation from Cambridge University. |
| The Equality and Human Rights Commission |
| The Equality and Human Rights Commission champions equality and human rights for all, working to eliminate discrimination, reduce inequality, protect human rights and to build good relations, ensuring that everyone has a fair chance to participate in society. The Commission came into being on 1st October 2007, replacing the Commission for Racial Equality, the Disability Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission. The Commission has new responsibilities for sexual orientation, age, religion and belief, and human rights. This site is a fantastic resource - it contains information on your rights at work including information on your rights while pregnant and on maternity leave, your rights if you work part-time, information on equal pay legisation and much, much more. |
| Cambridge Network |
The Mission of the Cambridge Network
is to link like minded people from business and academia to each other and to the global high technology community for the
benefit of the Cambridge region. The website contains press releases, regional events and listings of high-tech jobs. |
| Greater Cambridge Partnership |
The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) is the sub-regional economic partnership (SREP) covering a 25-mile radius around Cambridge.
The area includes Huntingdon, Wisbech, Ely, Newmarket, Bury St Edmunds, Haverhill, Royston and Stansted. We bring together the public,
business and community sectors to work jointly towards a shared vision; to realise the potential of Greater Cambridge as a world-class
economic area. On our website we have dedicated a page to women's business support
and have included a link to Cambridge AWISE as a women friendly business support,academic and networking organisation that operates
within the Greater Cambridge area. |
| Science Media Centre |
| The Science Media Centre is an independent venture working to promote the voices, stories and views of the scientific community to the news media when science is in the headlines. As well as general advice and support to scientists willing to do media work, the Centre runs formal media training with a focus on particular subjects which we know will hit the headlines. The Centre has also worked with scientists and journalists to produce a series of Good Practice Guides aimed at providing advice on how to explain more about the way science works in the course of a brief news interview. These guides cover topics including risk, animal research, peer review and uncertainty in science. |
| So what's the point of networking? |
| In their book 'It's not what you know, it's who you know. A guide to networking.' Dinah Bennett and Lucy Smout from Women into the Network say "Networking is an effective way of achieving your goals, meeting new people, finding out information, stimulating new ideas, checking out what's going on and identifying new opportunities. Networking can combat isolation, it boosts your own confidence, allows you to meet like minded people, access support and resources and meet inspirational role models." If you're a woman working in SET or thinking about returning to work in SET and near to Cambridge, why not come along to a Cambridge AWiSE event? If you are feeling a bit unsure about coming, email me first and I'll introduce you to some interesting friendly people! If you live further afield, look out for networks in your area, some are listed here. |
| Local Women's Networks |
 
Cambridge Business Womens Network offers
regional business women the opportunity to meet, forge contacts and extend their skills.Enterprising women is the dynamic community of women starting and growing businesses in the East Of England. Women@CL provides local, national and international activities for women engaged in computing research and academic leadership. Cambridge Women is a business networking group for women living and working in and around Cambridge. They hold informal lunch meetings where you can make business contacts, tap into the experiences of other like-minded women, or make friends. Cambridge lunch meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month at Arundel House Hotel on Chesterton Road (12:30-14:30) and there are similar events in Ely. They run free drop in business advice clinics before lunch. ResNet is a contact, support and information network for women working in research at The University of East Anglia, the Institute of Food Research, the John Innes Centre and the Sainsbury laboratory on the Norwich Research Park. Cambridge Graduate Women's Network runs networking events for graduate women in Cambridge. Post-Docs of Cambridge (PdOC) are a group of Cambridge University post-docs who are keen to help other post-docs make the most of their time in Cambridge. The Graduate Union is the University wide representative body for graduate students at the University of Cambridge. Cambridge Women's Resource Centre provides information, support and training for women in an empowering environment. |
| National Women's Networks and Organisations |
| The Women's Engineering Society promotes the education
training and practice of engineering amoung women. BCSWomen provides networking opportunities and support for all women working in IT around the world. The Women in Physics Group of the Institute of Physics aims to support and encourage women physicists at all stages of their careers. womenintechnology is a leading on-line job board and networking group for women working in the IT profession. Portia is a not-for-profit organisation working towards better representation and involvement of women in science, engineering and technology (SET). The Equalitec: Advancing Women in ITEC project is a partnership of professional bodies, employers and organisations working towards a more equal representation and involvement of women in information technology, electronics and communications. The HERO website contains links to professional bodies, learned societies, and similar organisations, plus similar organisations worldwide. Mums in Science aims to provide information to Mums who have the challenge of bringing up children and maintaining a career in science, whether full or part time, or outside mainstream science. Their website includes event's listing along with sources of information. Women into the Network is a business women's network in the North East of England. Their website has useful links for women starting their own business and great tips on networking. The Fawcett Society campaigns for equality between women and men in the UK on pay, pensions, poverty, justice and politics. 30th October has been declared Women's No Pay Day. The average 17% pay gap means that while men are paid all year, women effectively work for free from 30th October. |
| International Women's Networks and Organisations |
WiTEC, the European Association for Women in Science, Engineering and
Technology is a Europe-wide network. The website contains a useful news section.The American Association for Women in Science (AWiS) is dedicated to achieving equity and full participation for women in science, mathematics, engineering and technology. AWiS is a Network, a Resource, and a Voice. Their website contains links to other organisations promoting women in SET in the USA and beyond. The Society of Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST) is a non-profit, voluntary association established in 1981 to promote, encourage and empower Canadian women working in science and technology. The New Zealand Association for Women in Sciences was founded in Wellington in 1985. They have members throughout New Zealand, with branches in Dunedin, Christchurch, Nelson, Wellington, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Hamilton and Auckland. |
| Promoting SET careers to young Women |
 
STEMNET aims to ensure that more
young people in the UK choose science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related careers, and
future generations are properly informed about the science and technology around them.
The site also contains information on the
Science and Engineering Ambassador Programme which gives individuals the opportunity to help schools inspire young people. The Women into Science, Engineering and Construction Campaign promotes science, engineering and construction as career options for women. WISE has a range of inititatves and publications to give girls and women more information about opportunities and careers in SET and construction. |
| Business |
 If you work in a small biotech company, have a look at the training courses offered by
ERBI.
These include Laboratory Safety, Introduction to Management and Scientific Presentation Skills.Enterprising Women, the local community of business women, offer training events around East Anglia. The site also contains links to other sources of business support. Cambridge Enterprise Agency delivers a full range of business support services including advice and training. NESTA is the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. They are the largest single endowment devoted exclusively to supporting talent, innovation and creativity in the UK. Their mission is to transform the UK’s capacity for innovation. They invest in early stage companies, inform innovation policy and encourage a culture that helps innovation to flourish. Cambridge AWiSE Steering Group member Diane Turner of Anthias Consulting Ltd and Cambridge AWiSE Chair Jenny Koenig of Science ETC came to speak about setting up their own businesses. Both spoke extremely enthusiastically about the benefits of being your own boss and provided the audience with lots of practical advice. Diane's presentation which includes links to many useful website can be downloaded here. The Women's Enterprise Task Force aims to encourage an increase in the quantity and scalability of women's enterprise over the next three years. If women in the UK started businesses at the same rate as men, there would be 150,000 more businesses per annum creating many new jobs.  Jobshare UK launched on
17th September 2007 with the aim of providing senior level job sekkers with a 'gateway' to quality part-time, job-share and interim roles
via a specialist jobs board. Jobshare UK also provides the opportunity to locate a job-share partner via their national job-share register
and to provide high quality support, resources and information to both employers and job-seekers. The Year in Industry
is an activity of The Engineering Development Trust whose aim is to help talented people achieve their full potential through
work placements. They now have a new project designed to help address the severe skill shortage in SET industries and are offering
short-term placements for Women Returners. These placements will give women the opportunity to update their existing skills
and gain further experience. Have a look on their website
or email returners@yini.org.uk. Prowess is a network of
organisations and individuals who support the growth of women's business ownership. Their work encompasses raising awareness,
sharing of best practice, advocacy and information. Prowess has over 250 members who support 100,000 women each year to start
10,000 new businesses which contribute an additional £1.5 billion to the economy.
You can use this site to find out more about their work or to find business support and information in your area. |
| Public Appointments |
 Women are severely under-represented on Public Bodies such as the
Research Councils and those which give independent advice to the Government. To find out more about public appointments and public bodies in general,
visit the Public Appointments website. It's a fantastic way of
increasing your visibility, giving something back to society and helping influence decisions that affect all our lives. |
| Part-Time and Flexible Working Questionnaire |
 During the summer of 2004, Cambridge AWiSE ran a questionnaire
to find out the experiences of women who worked part-time or had requested flexible working in SET fields in both industry
and academia. A joint meeting was then held with the Women in Science, Engineering and Technology Initiative
(WiSETI)
at Cambridge University to explore the business case for gender diversity in industry and academia.
The meeting was held in memory of Dr Joan Mason, a distinguished chemist and founding member and Chair of AWiSE.
The resulting report shows that more could be done to encourage better management
practices and policies which would enable more women to remain in scientific careers and progress further within them.
It also showed that good practice from industry is readily transferable to other settings, including academia and SME's. |
| Girlfriends in High Places |
| The report, Girlfriends in High Places, by Helen McCarthy of Demos looks at the experience of formal networks among professional women and assesses their impact on women's mobility and on workplace diversity. |
| Contract Research Staff and PostGraduate Students |
 The UK Graduate Programme is dedicated to
realising postgraduate talent. The website contains a huge amount of information relevant to both postgrads and their employers.The Concordat for Career Management of Research Staff came into force in 1996 and set standards for career management and employment of CRS. The Concordat contains special initiatives to contribute to the wider policy of encouraging the participation of women in research: the salaries element of a grant can be used to pay maternity leave and additional funding can be claimed to pay for maternity cover or extend the period of the grant so that the project can be completed. The Concordat is being revised in light of changes in legislation and a consultation document will be published in Summer 2007. To read more about this, visit the Research Councils UK Research Careers and Diversity Unit website. In May 2007, following reports that the Concordat for Career Management of Contract Research Staff was being revised, Cambridge AWiSE organised a networking meeting for Contract Research Staff. This meeting gave women (and men) the opportunity to voice their opinions and experiences relating to short-term contracts and the chance to discuss what they would like to see in a revised Concordat. Our report of the meeting can be read here, along with our response to the draft Concordat. Cambridge AWiSE strongly supports the general principles of the new Concordat and especially, Principle Six: Diversity and Equality. Within this, Cambridge AWiSE particularly applauds the commitment to flexible working as the default provision. However, specific arrangements for maternity leave cover or the ability to extend a research grant at the end of a period of paid maternity leave in the 1996 Concordat are no longer part of the new Concordat. Cambridge AWiSE would like to see this provision re-instated in the new Concordat. RCUK are currently holding a consulation period which ends on 30th September so if you have any additional comments on the draft concordat, please contact them by this date. We thank The Biochemical Society and The Institute of Physics for sponsoring this event. |
| Vitae |
Vitae, a new organisation to champion the professional and career development of researchers, was launched on 25th June by Ian Pearson MP.
Vitae's vision is for the UK to be world-class in supporting the professional development of researchers and research careers.
Vitae aims to do this through:
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Last updated 13th May 2008
