Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

To make advances in our research efforts, we recognise that as an institute we must fully embrace diversity in all its forms. Diversity is essential in making scientific progress, bringing with it the breadth of views and experiences that deliver creativity, innovation and new ways of seeing the world around us.

Equality and Inclusion underpins all of this – and we want Royce to be a place where everyone within the Royce Community, across our Partners and our Stakeholders, feels valued and respected and that they can thrive. EDI is about ensuring everyone single one of us is able to reach our full potential.

We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and to actively promoting an organisational culture where individual difference is appreciated, celebrated and respected, ensuring equitable and fair treatment for all regardless of a person’s characteristics; age, disability, sex, gender identity and expression, race, religion or belief (including lack thereof), sexual orientation, and/or marriage and civil partnerships, maternity and pregnancy.

We are also committed to addressing wider equality issues, beyond legal obligations, to include for example, caring responsibilities and socioeconomic status, and will support positive action for under-represented groups.

We also want to share our experience and our approach to EDI with the very broad community in which we operate, including with our funders such as The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) as well through all our events and collaborative activities.

The Committee, which is currently Co-Chaired by Royce Research and Facilities Manager Dr Helen Ryder and CEO Professor David Knowles, has been established to oversee EDI strategy and activities across Royce and support expansion and diversity of the wider advanced materials network.

The EDI Committee will address equality issues by providing both strategic direction and overseeing the continued development of policy in line with both legislation and our own strategic objectives around EDI.

The committee will also identify all those initiatives that support equality, diversity and across the Royce community and in so doing nurture the kind of creativity that supports and grows world-recognised excellence in UK materials research.

We’re already committed to:

• Demonstrating a visible senior leadership commitment to EDI with all leaders and managers in Royce acting as inclusive leadership role models having personal EDI objectives
• Considering EDI in all engagement, events and outreach activities so that diverse people shape such activities. A recent example of this is recruitment activity for new members to our Strategic Advisory Board which focussed on engaging individuals from a diverse range of  backgrounds.
• Explicitly communicating our commitment to promoting EDI and setting clear expectations to everyone across the Royce community
• Providing an inclusive environment where all members of this community are treated fairly with respect and dignity, and feel like they belong and can thrive
• Providing equality of opportunity and actively promoting an organisational culture where individual difference is appreciated, celebrated and respected
• Collaborating externally by sharing our experience and approach with funders, partners, suppliers, and through events and activities