Womens Advancement Initiative Sarah Hawkes Scheme Coordinator, WAI PhD Student, Department of Psychological Medicine

Womens Advancement Initiative Aim: to support women academics at Kings in their career progression by Identifying career barriers and challenges for female academics Devising interventions to address these barriers

Womens Advancement Initiative One years funding to: Implement a pilot mentoring scheme for women academics at IoP Athena SWAN Charter – achieved bronze award, next departmental submissions Undertake focus groups across College on issues that affect career/promotion prospects and support that could be provided

Womens Advancement Initiative Further three years funding to: Run an RCT of mentoring at the Schools of Medicine and Biomedical Health Sciences Set up a returners awards scheme for staff returning from maternity leave

IoP pilot mentoring scheme for female academics Launched July 2008 Mentees: female Fellows/Postdoctoral staff/Lecturers or above, both clinical and non- clinical, or Research Assistants/Associates who are studying for a PhD and contracted for at least a year 65 mentees signed up Over 40 members of senior staff signed up to be mentors 48 mentor-mentee pairs to date

Athena SWAN Charter A national recognition scheme for HEIs who are taking steps to actively promote the career progression of women working in science, engineering and technology (SET) disciplines Became a signatory of the Charter in 2007 College awarded a Bronze Award in June 2008 Now working on departmental submissions for Silver Awards

Career Progression Focus Groups Undertaken a series of focus groups with male and female academic and research staff in SET disciplines on career progression and promotion prospects Information gathered will be used to improve the policies, approaches and range of support offered to staff at Kings, and inform an academic research project ssion_survey_may ssion_survey_may2009

RCT of mentoring Randomised controlled trial of mentoring as an intervention to address the gender gap in senior academia Trial conducted in Schools of Medicine and Biomedical & Health Sciences Commence Summer 2009 Trial mentoring scheme will be open to female postdoctoral researchers, research fellows, lecturers and above, with male and female senior staff acting as mentors

Returners Awards Scheme Competitive award scheme for women (or men) with primary responsibility for the care of young children Awarded part-time member of staff for 2 years to provide extra help with research, administrative or laboratory activities Anticipated launch September 2009

Contact Details Sarah Hawkes Project Co-ordinator, WAI /