Equality, diversity and inclusion projects win funding support

Two new University of Glasgow projects aimed at improving equality, diversity and inclusion within engineering and the physical sciences have received funding support from by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). One project, led by the University, will work to redress disadvantages faced by women as they progress from early-career researchers to lecturers. The second project, led by Queen's University Belfast and supported by the Universities of Glasgow and Warwick, will aim to change attitudes to gender equality initiatives. The projects are among a total of 11 to share in £5.5 million from EPSRC via the Inclusion Matters call, the first initiative of its kind which has been launched as part of the collective approach by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to promote equality, diversity and inclusion. The University of Glasgow-led project, which received £395,000 in funding support, is named 'VisNET: Virtual in situ networking to reinvent the rules of international collaborations and reduce gender differences in academic careers'. The project unites Glasgow academics with academics from the Universities of Edinburgh and Strathclyde, and industry partners from NXP Semiconductors Ltd, Nokia UK Ltd, CGI IT UK Ltd, Atkins Ltd, Scottish Research Partnership in Engineering and Thales UK Ltd. Co-Programme Directors Dr Caroline Gauchotte-Lindsay and Dr Helen Mulvana, both lecturers in the University of Glasgow's School of Engineering, said: "VisNET aims to understand and fundamentally transform the mechanisms of networking and collaboration in academia.