Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The School of Chemical Sciences at DCU is committed to an inclusive, equitable culture in which students and staff from all backgrounds can thrive. In 2025 we secured a Bronze Athena SWAN Award (Advance HE) recognising our progress on gender equality and action planning to remove structural barriers to career progression in the chemical sciences. This builds on DCU’s long engagement with the Athena SWAN Charter and university-wide gender equality work.

We also participate in the Royal Society of Chemistry-funded RISE programme, led from University College Dublin (Prof Elaine O’Reilly), alongside partners at UCD, Trinity College Dublin and TU Dublin. RISE (Retain, Inspire, Support, Enhance) provides structured, paid research placements, mentoring, and cohort development for undergraduate students from ethnically underrepresented groups across the Chemical Sciences, with multi-year progression across partner institutions.

At DCU we host incoming RISE students, match them with research mentors, and support skills development, networking, and career planning. These activities complement our broader EDI actions: unconscious bias awareness, inclusive recruitment practices, flexible placement design, and data-informed monitoring through the University’s EDI and Athena SWAN action plans. Together, these efforts help ensure every member of our School is welcomed, respected, and able to achieve their potential.

We are also proud to be involved in the All-Ireland Network for Gender Equality in Chemistry, which is the first national network of all HEI Chemical Sciences departments on the island of Ireland, dedicated to advancing gender equality and empowering systemic change across the sector. It’s funded through the HEA’s Gender Equality Enhancement Fund and coordinates annual “Chemistry of Equality” meetings—most recently hosted by UCD in May 2025—to share best practices and build a collaborative EDI community.