UK Inquiry Tracker

Diversity and inclusion in STEM

Science, Innovation and Technology Committee Closed Inquiry

Opened: 22 Nov 2021 Closed: 19 Feb 2024 Parliament page

There is evidence to suggest that women, certain ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and those from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds are underrepresented in education, training and employment related to STEM . While there is significant variation in rates of progression and outcomes across ethnic minority groups, research shows that ethnic minority … Read more There is evidence to suggest that women, certain ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and those from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds are underrepresented in education, training and employment related to STEM . While there is significant variation in rates of progression and outcomes across ethnic minority groups, research shows that ethnic minority staff and students have consistently poorer outcomes than white staff and students. There is also variation within ethnic minorities. Recent data from the APPG on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM show that 65% of the STEM workforce are white men and that, proportionally, white women are less likely to be STEM workers than ethnic minority women. Further, the percentage of academic staff with a known disability is lower for staff working in STEM than non-STEM, and 2020 data analysis from the APPG on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM found that disabled people of all ethnicities are underrepresented in the STEM workforce. While there is comparatively less data on the socioeconomic background of the STEM workforce a 2014 Royal Society report found that it does have a strong effect on an individual’s likelihood of entering the scientific workforce. The importance of diversity amongst the research community has been acknowledged by UK Research and Innovation’s Chief Executive, Dame Ottoline Leyser, who said: “high-quality research and innovation needs diversity. You have to have people with different ideas and different backgrounds coming together to create the kind of environment where extraordinary things happen”. We understand that the issues raised in this work may be sensitive or upsetting and the following organisations may be able to offer support or further information: Samaritans – General support for everyone. Call 116 123 - 24 hours a day, every day, or email jo@samaritans.org Mind – for information, advice, and support for anyone experiencing a mental health problem. Call 0300 123 3393. Citizens Advice - For independent, free advice provided by a network of charities online, over the phone and in person on a wide variety of issues including benefits, work, debt, housing, family and immigration. Their Adviceline is available 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, by calling 0800 144 8848 (England) or 0800 702 2020 (Wales) Show less

17 Recommendations

9 Conclusions

1 Report

5 Oral sessions

3 Letters

5 Events

Activity timeline 10 events

16 Jun
2023

Report published

Third Special Report - Diversity and inclusion in STEM: Government Response to the Committee’s Fifth Report

24 Mar
2023

Report published

Fifth Report - Diversity and Inclusion in STEM

16 Nov
2022

Correspondence

Correspondence from the committee to the Secretary of state relating to Diversity and Inclusion in STEM maths funding

14 Jul
2022

Correspondence

Correspondence from the Science Minister relating to diversity and inclusion in STEM and Horizon Europe

30 Jun
2022

Correspondence

Correspondence to the Science Minister relating to diversity and inclusion in STEM and Horizon Europe

15 Jun
2022

Oral evidence

Oral evidence session

18 May
2022

Oral evidence

Oral evidence session

27 Apr
2022

Oral evidence

Oral evidence session

16 Mar
2022

Oral evidence

Oral evidence session

23 Feb
2022

Oral evidence

Oral evidence session

Oral evidence sessions 5 sessions

15 Jun 2022

View on parliament.uk

George Freeman MP · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Gillian Unsworth · Equality Hub Kemi Badenoch · Government Equalities Office Marcus Bell · Equality Hub Mr Robin Walker · Department for Education Paul Kett · Department for Education Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser DBE FRS · UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

18 May 2022

View on parliament.uk

Clare Hayes · Hyndland Secondary School Dr Claire Crawford · Institute for Fiscal Studies Dr Jasper Green · Institute of Education Jane Lunnon · Alleyn's School Mark Turner · Skipton High School for Girls Professor Dame Athene Donald · University of Cambridge Professor Ulrike Tillmann · London Mathematical Society Rachel Youngman · Institute of Physics

27 Apr 2022

View on parliament.uk

Dr Gayle Brewer · University of Liverpool and National Association of Disabled Staff Networks Dr Izzy Jayasinghe · School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, and LGBTQ+ STEM Dr Jasleen Jolly · Anglia Ruskin University and National Association of Disabled Staff Networks Dr Katie Perry · The Daphne Jackson Trust Katharine Birbalsingh CBE · Social Mobility Commission Katherine Sparkes MBE · Lightyear Foundation

16 Mar 2022

View on parliament.uk

Claudenia Williams · Kingsley Academy Professor Narender Ramnani · Royal Holloway University of London Professor Rachel Oliver FREng · University of Cambridge and The Inclusion Group for Equity in Research and STEMM Russell Hobby · Teach First Sam Freedman · The Institute for Government

23 Feb 2022

View on parliament.uk

Clare Viney · Careers Research Advisory Centre-Vitae Dr Anna Zecharia · Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Science and Health (EDIS) Dr Jake Anders · UCL Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities Dr Rebecca Montacute · Sutton Trust Katherine Mathieson · British Science Association Professor Jeremy Sanders CBE FRS · Royal Society

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
Fifth Report - Diversity and Inclusion in STEM	HC 95	24 Mar 2023	26	Response document linked

Recommendations & Conclusions

26 results

1 Recommendation

Fifth Report - Diversity and Inclu…

The Government should, in its response to this Report, tell us how it plans to...

The Government should, in its response to this Report, tell us how it plans to monitor, evaluate and report on progress in delivering “in-house STEM capability” across public services, including the NHS and schools.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Diversity and inclusion in STEM

Activity timeline 10 events

Oral evidence sessions 5 sessions

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Recommendations & Conclusions

The Government should, in its response to this Report, tell us how it plans to...

The benefits of raising levels of diversity and inclusion in STEM education, research settings and...

Improved data collection and the application of lessons from it are key to addressing under-representation.

All children should be able to see themselves in what they learn from an early...

The careers advice and support pupils receive from the earliest years must promote diverse and...

The data on STEM subject uptake and attainment at GCSE and A-level paints a complex...

The picture between and within different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds is similarly complex, however, pupils...

Access, or lack of it, to the separate study of biology, chemistry and physics at...

We welcome Ofsted’s recent report examining science education in primary and secondary schools.

The Government should tell us whether it has consulted with Ofsted on levels of uptake...

Ofsted should, as part of its inspection criteria, gather data and report on levels of...

The Government should in its response to this Report set out how it intends to...

We recommend as an alternative to compulsion the introduction of a requirement for pupils who...

There are clear benefits when children are taught by teachers with qualifications, professional experience, or...

STEM teacher salaries must be as competitive as possible with the private sector, and we...

The Government should assess the impact of further salary increases on recruitment targets for STEM...

We welcome the Government’s nationwide roll-out of a scheme with the engineering sector, designed to...

The Government should consider what support it could offer to initiatives such as Now Teach,...

The Government, UK Research and Innovation and other research funders should make funding available for...

Some STEM researchers face a discriminatory working environment.

Our inquiry received evidence that highlighted the importance of addressing as a matter of urgency...

We welcome the move towards alternative processes such as narrative CVs and hope to see...

UKRI must use the publication of its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategy, and the...

Guidance to all Research Council staff should include a specific requirement to ensure representative Committees—for...

STEM-related roles are an important part of the UK labour market, and just as is...

In its response to this Report, the Government should detail how the newly-created Department for...

Correspondence 3 letters