César A.
Urbina-Blanco
*a,
Safia Z.
Jilani
*b,
Isaiah R.
Speight
*c,
Michael J.
Bojdys
*dag,
Tomislav
Friščić
*e,
J. Fraser
Stoddart
*fgh,
Toby L.
Nelson
i,
James
Mack
j,
Renã A. S.
Robinson
c,
Emanuel A.
Waddell
k,
Jodie L.
Lutkenhaus
l,
Murrell
Godfrey
m,
Martine I.
Abboud
n,
Stephen O.
Aderinto
o,
Damilola
Aderohunmu
p,
Lučka
Bibič
q,
João
Borges
r,
Vy M.
Dong
s,
Lori
Ferrins
t,
Fun Man
Fung
u,
Torsten
John
v,
Felicia P. L.
Lim
w,
Sarah L.
Masters
x,
Dickson
Mambwe
y,
Pall
Thordarson
z,
Maria-Magdalena
Titirici
aa,
Gabriela D.
Tormet-González
ab,
Miriam M.
Unterlass
ac,
Austin
Wadle
ad,
Vivian W.-W.
Yam
ae and
Ying-Wei
Yang
af
aLaboratory for Chemical Technology, Ghent University, Ghent, B-9052, Belgium
bDepartment of Chemistry, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
cDepartment of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
dDepartment of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, 12489, Germany. E-mail: m.j.bojdys.02@cantab.net
eDepartment of Chemistry, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
fDepartment of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
gInstitute for Molecular Design and Synthesis, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, People’s Republic of China
hSchool of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
iDepartment of Chemistry, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
jDepartment of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
kDepartment of Chemistry, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899, USA
lArtie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
mDepartment of Chemistry, The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
nDepartment of Chemistry, University of Oxford Chemistry Research Laboratory, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
oDepartment of Chemistry, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S3 7HF, UK
pDepartment of Chemistry, Covenant University, CST, Canaanland, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
qSchool of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
rDepartment of Chemistry, CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
sDepartment of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
tDepartment of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
uDepartment of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
vLeibniz Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM), Leipzig, 04318, Germany
wSchool of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Selangor Darul Ehsan 47500, Malaysia
xSchool of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand
yDepartment of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Capetown, 7701, South Africa
zSchool of Chemistry, The Australian Centre for Nanomedicine, The ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
aaDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
abInstitute of Chemistry, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
acInstitute of Materials Chemistry, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, 1060, Austria
adDepartment of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Duke University Pratt School of Engineering, Durham, NC 27708, USA
aeInstitute of Molecular Functional Materials, Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
afState Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, International Joint Research Laboratory of Nano-Micro Architecture Chemistry (NMAC), College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, People’s Republic of China
agDepartment of Chemistry, King's College London, London, UK
Valuing diversity leads to scientific excellence, the progress of science and, most importantly, it is simply the right thing to do. We can value diversity not only in words, but also in actions.
Science policy deals with creating the framework and codes of conduct that determine how science can best serve society.4–6 Discussions around science policy are often accompanied by anecdotes of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ practices regarding the merits of diversity and inclusion. Excellence and truth, which flow inexorably from diversity and inclusion, are the bedrocks upon which science should influence political and economic outcomes. A vital area of science policy is to support the professional development of marginalized scientists, an objective that must be acted upon by scientific leaders and communicators.
Diversity: the ways in which people differ, encompassing all the characteristics that make one individual or group distinctive.8 The dimensions of diversity include, but are not limited to, (i) ethnic or national origins, skin colour or nationality, (ii) gender, gender identity, and gender expression, (iii) sexual orientation, (iv) background (socio-economic status, immigration status or class), (v) religion or belief (including absence of belief), (vi) civil or marital status, (vii) pregnancy and maternity, paternity, parental leave, (viii) age and (ix) disability.9
Equity: the fair treatment, access and opportunity that lead to the advancement of all peoples. Equity is about striving to identify and remove barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. Improving equity means increasing justice and fairness within the processes of institutions or systems, as well as communication and sharing of resources. Addressing issues of equity require a deep understanding of the sources of disparity in our society.10
Inclusion: the act of creating an environment in which any individual or group feels (i) welcomed, (ii) safe, (iii) supported, (iv) respected and (v) valued to participate. An inclusive and welcoming culture embraces differences and offers respect in words and actions to all people. It is important to note that while an inclusive group is by definition diverse, a diverse group is not always inclusive. Increasingly, recognition of implicit bias helps organizations to be constructive about addressing issues of inclusion.10
Implicit bias: people are not neutral in judgement and behaviour, but instead have experience-based associations and preferences or aversions without being consciously aware of them.11
Microaggressions: these are often manifestations of implicit bias, typically in the form of comments or actions.12
Marginalized scientists: scientists who are at the periphery of social, economic and scientific discussions.
The reason marginalized scientists leave science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is not an accident. It results from the historic expectations of how a scientist should be perceived13 and, in turn, the different treatment of scientists who don't conform to those expectations. The pursuit of equity will dismantle these beliefs, driving policy development and creating equal access to positions of leadership and opportunities for all.
This article is a message for (i) current and future scientists, (ii) students, mentors and educators, (iii) science communicators, (iv) publishers and (v) science policy makers. It has two purposes: (1) provide marginalized scientists and their allies with a space to talk about their approach towards scientific advancement, mentorship and how to challenge systemic injustice and (2) provide actionable advice to implement equity in academia and related businesses and organizations.
For example, in the UK, a 2018 report by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) noted that the percentage of students from minority groups falls from 26% at the undergraduate level to 14% at the postgraduate level.17 Unfortunately, this study was not able to show the ethnicity data for staff in higher-education settings. This incomplete dataset highlights the need for transparent and consistent reporting of DEI data from universities. The RSC also shared that the percentage of minority ethnic chemical scientists in academia appears to drop significantly with increasing career stage.17 Meanwhile, in the US, a study by C&EN found that 12.3% of the US population is Black, yet only 1.6% of chemistry professors at the top 50 US universities are Black.18
Mapping the diversity landscape of academia across hierarchies is vital to understanding the severity of the underrepresentation of marginalized scientists. This data should be collected and reported on a regular basis so that progress can be monitored transparently. This information gathering will give organizations a quantitative perspective of diversity in their communities, and provide context to create equitable policies and practices.
Every member of the scientific community has a duty to act and create support structures that promote the career development of marginalized scientists. Below are some examples of specific support systems, and how they play a key role in a marginalized scientist’s career.
Mentorship: supporting the personal and professional growth, development, and success of scientists through the provision of career and mental-health advice.27 Mentorship has an overall positive effect on retention and career success of mentees across STEM disciplines.27 Despite current efforts in DEI, however, marginalized individuals enrolled in STEM degree programs typically receive less mentorship than their well-represented peers.28,29 Research has shown that marginalized scientists already dedicate more hours of service engaging in invisible work, including mentorship, than their peers.30,31 This imbalance reduces their available time to perform tasks that are deemed more valuable for career progression. Mentoring marginalized scientists should also be the responsibility of well-represented scientists.
Online peer communities: communities such as #ScienceTwitter are free resources to build connections, learn about career opportunities, and share expert advice.32 These platforms can increase the visibility and reach of scientific work.33 Scientists can increase their visibility and use their platform to promote marginalized colleagues.
Financial support: the barriers for marginalized scientists pursuing and engaging in scientific careers can be reduced through financial support.34 Scientists and scientific organizations need to create and promote equitable financial aid opportunities that support marginalized scientists in career development and be mindful of the costs of participating in networking events.
Effective inclusion and diversity support: these systems can identify, and address, the negative experiences of marginalized researchers; they must be approachable, trustworthy and accountable. Research suggests that such support is best provided through independent and impartial structures.27
Recognizing the work of marginalized scientists: it is crucial that the achievements of marginalized scientists be valued, respected and credited appropriately.35,36 This recognition involves (i) reading their work, (ii) engaging in their discoveries, (iii) cooperating in joint research projects, (iv) citing their work and (v) nominating them for leadership positions and awards.
Diversity in science has helped to bring forward advances in areas that the well-represented cannot fathom, because they do not share the problems and perspectives of marginalized scientists. Furthermore, the technical and societal problems that marginalized scientists value are not weighted equally. It is, not only, that well-represented scientists have a narrower conception of what constitutes excellence, but also many of them will fail to attain the level of excellence that the achievements of marginalized scientists already have in contemporary society.
If we want to renew our understanding of excellence, we must also renew the composition of the bodies that define it. This renewal could be achieved through the tenure and promotion process. In order for the promotion process to be equitable, all the achievements of scientists in research, teaching, and service must be included in the redefinition of excellence.39
Academics should care about DEI because marginalized scientists matter. Academia has been slower to embrace diversity than the private sector where diversity has been linked to the financial bottom line, in that the more diverse the corporation, the more valuable and profitable is the company.40 A broad understanding of excellence embraces the diversity of the creators and beneficiaries of science. As institutions redefine excellence to include all, the benefits for all will be tremendous.40,41
Journals can create a more equitable and trustworthy publishing process by stating their mission initiatives clearly and making direct statements addressing any kind of bias against marginalized groups. These statements should be updated annually and be supported by data analysis on the diversity of (i) frontline editorial teams, (ii) reviewers, and (iii) authors both of submitted manuscripts and accepted articles. Given this transparent information, publishers can identify biases and take steps to eliminate them. A larger and equitable talent pool would also unburden the marginalized scientists who are currently stretched thin across editorial positions.
Reducing the inequalities in STEM requires a data-based, holistic approach to DEI. We all need to become advocates of marginalized scientists and give them equitable opportunities to advance their careers because it is ultimately the right thing to do. Additionally, the result will not only be a broader pool of future talents, but also an unprecedented level of excellence that a more colourful and inclusive scientific community can attain.
We have collected statements from scientists that come from all walks of life to share how they value DEI initiatives (https://chemistrycommunity.nature.com/channels/diverse-views-in-science). These statements contain individual calls to action, as well as broader advice to the younger scientists. We hope that you find them interesting and, in the words of Michael Polanyi,46 use them for “coordination by mutual adjustment of independent initiatives.” Let us use these statements to learn from each other as we do in science.
This article is co-published in the following journals: Nature Chemistry (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-020-0529-x), Chemical Science (https://doi.org/10.1039/D0SC90150D), Journal of the American Chemical Society (https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.0c07877), Angewandte Chemie International Edition (https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202009834), Canadian Journal of Chemistry (https://doi.org/10.1139/cjc-2020-0323), and Croatica Chemica Acta (https://doi.org/10.5562/diversity2020).
Footnote |
† This article is co-published in the following journals: Nature Chemistry (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-020-0529-x), Chemical Science (https://doi.org/10.1039/D0SC90150D), Journal of the American Chemical Society (https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.0c07877), Angewandte Chemie International Edition (https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202009834), Canadian Journal of Chemistry (https://doi.org/10.1139/cic-2020-0323), and Croatica Chemica Acta (https://doi.org/10.5562/diversity2020). |
This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2020 |