uk resource centre for women in science, engineering and technology - athena swan sub-site

Athena SWAN > Awards > FAQs

What’s the Athena SWAN definition of SET/STEM?

• We use the definition set out in DTI Economics Paper 16
• This says that SET covers the fields of medicine, dentistry, subjects allied to medicine (eg nursing and pharmacy), biological sciences, veterinary sciences, agricultural sciences, physical sciences (eg physics and chemistry), environmental sciences, mathematical and statistical sciences, computer sciences and ICT, engineering, technology, architecture, and building and planning
• For more details go to the SET definition page of the website.

• Yes, due to the differences in the awards schedule now, it is fine for those who received their awards in March 2007 to renew them or apply at a higher level in May 2010.

• No.  The deadline is the same every year (31 May).  You should have been preparing your submission since at least the beginning of the year and factored in planned absences. 
• Judging panels are arranged in advance and the judges need enough time to read and understand each of the submissions thoroughly in order to make their decision and provide considered feedback.

• Many of the word counts have been increased for 2010.
• But, you must not exceed the word count, either in the body of the form or by attaching annexes.  The judges take a very dim view of lengthy submissions.
• It is not necessary to set out every gender-related policy, especially those that are required by law and which every institution will be implementing.
• Focus on what you are doing that is innovative or different.  Be concise! More is not necessarily better!

• No.  There are strong business reasons for implementing the Charter principles.  All members commit themselves to the principles when they join the Charter. An institution which was not working on implementing the principles would be highly unlikely to qualify for an award.

• Use the opening section to provide a concise picture of your institution, drawing out any unusual features so that the judges understand the limitations on what you can do.
• You can also use the section ‘any other information’ to highlight particular differences between you and other institutions.

• Send the entire submission electronically.
• But send the covering letter of support signed by the Vice-Chancellor or Head of Department in hard copy as well.  This must be received by the SWAN team within 7 working days of the submission deadline (31 May).
• Do bear in mind that the submissions will be printed off in black and white and sent to the judges. Tables and graphs should be in PDF format which is printable on A4 paper without adjustment.

• There is no fixed definition as this will vary depending on the university.  But it is about quality as well as quantity.  The application forms ask you to list all the SET departments in the institution and indicate which hold SWAN awards.  You will need to demonstrate that, not only do the majority of SET departments hold awards, but that this number includes some of the more challenging disciplines too. 
• If in doubt about your eligibility, seek advice from athenaswan@ecu.ac.uk.

• It is unlikely that the judges will view this in a negative light. One of the most important things they look for is honesty, and provided that an organisation recognises its short-comings and then proposes action plans to address them, the panel will view this kind of self-criticism quite favourably.  In fact, they may be suspicious of an overly rosy portrayal!  But at Silver and Gold level you will need to show that you have made some progress!

• Not necessarily, but it can be easier to get support if the preparations are led by a more senior staff member.
  

• Yes. It’s good to have active links between departments to share good practice and support each other. York University has an Athena SWAN Committee across different SET departments, which supports departments where women are under-represented and more isolated.  At Imperial College successful departments from one year mentor applicant departments the following year.

• The Head of Department sets the tone. Engage people through staff meetings. Submit the draft report to management meetings. Put the minutes of the self-assessment team on the Intranet. Remember to sell the message to men as well as women.

• No. The SWAN Charter and awards are about improving the representation of women in SET.

• No.  The SWAN Charter Coordinator and UKRC staff are involved in the judging panels and it would be a conflict of interest for them to check applications.  Nor do they have the time to do so.
• But UKRC staff can provide guidance on the preparation of the applications and on good practice.
• You should also look at the factsheets on good practice and the links to previous applications on the website (http://www.athenaswan.org.uk/html/athena-swan/good-practice/previous-applications/)

• Ideally, you should include all staff working on SET.
• Although the SWAN Charter was originally aimed at academic and research staff, the judges are interested to see how departments create inclusive environments for technical and support staff as well.
• At Silver and Gold levels we ask for data on students as well because they provide the pipeline for future staff and their perceptions of the department will have an impact on future employment.

• No.  Because we are looking at the university’s baseline policies, we want to see how SET Departments compare with non-SET departments.  If there are particular disciplines with problems, you could provide data on those along with your plans to improve the situation.  But avoid sending pages of separate data for lots of SET departments.

• No. Circumstances will vary, for example, some physics departments may have no female staff, but you will be expected to put in place mechanisms to address this.

• Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) publishes a selection of statistics relating to the higher education sector drawn primarily from the HESA data set.  A report is available from ECU or online at www.ecu.ac.uk.
• The UK Resource Centre for Women in SET (UKRC) provides a range of data on women in STEM at UK HEIs.  See their website for more information www.ukrc4setwomen.org/html/research-and-statistics/statistics/he-institutions-2009/. 
• You can ask the UKRC for specific information at www.ukrc4setwomen.org/html/enquiries.
• You might also want to ask the relevant professional body for information on a specific discipline.

• We welcome efforts to improve data gathering.  You should explain what the changes are and how it has affected the application in the section for ‘any other comments’.
• You should, nevertheless, make some effort to compare progress over the years so that you can identify where efforts should be prioritised.