Institute of Cancer Research renews Athena Swan Silver Award for leadership in gender equality and inclusion

Institute of Cancer Research renews Athena Swan Silver Award for leadership in gender equality and inclusion

(IN BRIEF) The Institute of Cancer Research has renewed its Athena Swan Silver Award for 2025–2029, recognising continued progress in promoting gender equality and fostering an inclusive workplace. The award highlights key achievements such as improved recruitment and flexible working policies, leadership development for women, and the successful Technician Career Pathways project. The ICR’s new action plan sets out further goals, including reducing the gender pay gap, increasing representation of women and minority ethnic groups in senior roles, and embedding inclusive recruitment and promotion practices. The award reflects ICR’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion as a cornerstone of its research and education mission.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 8-Oct-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) has been awarded the Athena Swan Silver Award for the period 2025–2029, marking continued recognition of its commitment to promoting gender equality, diversity, and an inclusive culture across research, education, and professional services. The new award builds on ICR’s 2019 Silver Award, reflecting the organisation’s sustained progress in embedding equitable practices and driving institutional change.

The Athena Swan Charter, managed by Advance HE, recognises higher education and research institutions that demonstrate measurable progress toward gender equality and the representation and advancement of all staff. Over the past four years, ICR has implemented a series of impactful initiatives aimed at improving representation, creating flexible working conditions, and supporting career development for underrepresented groups.

Key achievements since the previous Silver Award include:

Improved recruitment practices: Updated policies, inclusive job descriptions, and targeted outreach have led to more women than men being recruited at the faculty level over the past two years.

Flexible working culture: Flexible arrangements are now standard across ICR, with staff surveys showing that 86% of employees feel able to work flexibly, with minimal gender differences.

Career development and progression: The Pathway to Independence programme has successfully prepared emerging research leaders, with nearly half of female participants progressing into team leader roles. New initiatives have expanded tailored support for underrepresented staff.

Recognition of technical staff: The Technician Career Pathways project, led by Professor Kristian Helin, Chief Executive of the ICR, has increased career development and visibility for technical teams, a female-majority group central to research success.

A culture of respect and wellbeing: Initiatives such as Report + Support, active bystander training, and enhanced wellbeing programmes have strengthened the ICR’s commitment to maintaining a safe and inclusive workplace.

Professor Christina Yap, Co-Chair of the Athena Swan Steering Group at ICR, said: “We are proud to receive the Athena Swan Silver Award. This recognition reflects the dedication and collective effort that went into our submission, and more importantly, our commitment to advancing gender equality. It’s been a privilege to gather evidence, reflect on our practices, and see real, positive changes take shape.”

Alan Cumber, Co-Chair of the Steering Group, added: “This is a shared achievement for everyone across the ICR, and we will work together to ensure it inspires continued momentum and collective pride.”

Looking ahead, the ICR has outlined an ambitious new Athena Swan action plan to drive further progress over the next four years. Key priorities include increasing representation of women and minority ethnic staff in leadership roles, reducing the gender pay gap from 21.3% to 15% by 2029, and improving transparency in pay and progression processes. The plan also focuses on strengthening support for flexible working and parental responsibilities, expanding equality networks, embedding inclusive recruitment and promotion practices, and improving career progression monitoring through a new HR system.

Dr Barbara Pittam, Chief Research and Academic Officer and Executive Sponsor of the Athena Swan Steering Group, described the renewal as both a milestone and a motivator: “The renewal of our Silver Award is both a celebration and a call to action. I am delighted we achieved the Silver Award again, but what matters most is that we have a clear plan to do even more. With equity, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our strategy, we will continue to build a world-leading research and education environment where everyone can thrive.”

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SOURCE: The Institute of Cancer Research