Workshop aims to celebrate and inspire female researchers

The event, coordinated by the University and Elsevier, also sought to raise awareness of some of the barriers facing female researchers
Faculty of Science and Engineering inclusive researcher workshop
Emily Bradley
The University of Plymouth has staged a first-of-its-kind inclusive researcher workshop, reinforcing its commitment to supporting all researchers at every stage of their academic careers.
The workshop, coordinated by the Faculty of Science and Engineering , brought together experienced and early-career researchers, postgraduate students and library staff from a range of disciplines.
Its aim was to celebrate the achievements of female researchers across the Faculty, and to use their experiences and insights to inspire others.
It also aimed to highlight some of the specific challenges female researchers might face during their careers – including gender bias when it comes to academic publishing – and to make them aware of support available at the University.
The workshop was conceived in partnership with Elsevier, one of the world's foremost academic publishing companies, and it is the first of its kind staged by the organisation worldwide.
It builds on existing efforts across the University to improve gender equity, commitments which have seen the University – and five of its schools – awarded Athena Swan Silver status.

We believe that all our staff and students should be given every opportunity to succeed in their academic endeavours, regardless of their age, gender, race or any other characteristics.

As such, activities like this workshop are an attempt to celebrate achievements while raising awareness of particular issues facing certain groups within our university community. Through them, we hope to make everyone feel they have the skills and support they need, and bring about a positive change in culture that extends far beyond our campuses.

Kevin JonesProfessor Kevin Jones
Deputy Vice-Chancellor - Research and Innovation

The workshop included presentations and panel sessions featuring prominent female staff from both the University and Elsevier, all of which aimed to help attendees develop their skills in the planning, execution, promotion and evaluation of their research.
The panel event, chaired by Professor Sarah Main, Vice President for Academic and Government Relations at Elsevier, celebrated the achievements of four prominent female researchers: Professor Deborah Greaves OBE FREng , Director of the Centre for Decarbonisation and Offshore Renewable Energy; Dr Emma Sheehan , Associate Professor of Marine Ecology; Dr Sian Rees , Associate Head of School (Research) in the School of Biological and Marine Sciences; and Dr Michelle Harris , Associate Professor in Earth Sciences.
The remainder of the event heard from Elsevier representatives: Dr Lesley Thompson, Director of Global Funders, who dispelled myths about the grant application process; Alison Ferrett, Customer Success Manager, who offered effective strategies for navigating the publication process while highlighting Elsevier's work on publication review boards; and Sahar Abuelbashar, RI Solutions Account Manager, who explained post-publication metrics and ways to enhance the visibility of researchers' profiles.

Celebrating the achievements of female researchers is not just a matter of recognition; it is essential for inspiring the next generation of scholars. We are proud to partner with the University of Plymouth in this innovative initiative and share the goal of advancing greater inclusion, diversity and equity in research and innovation.

Judy Verses
President of Global Academia and Governing Markets at Elsevier 
 
Staff and students who were unable to attend the workshop can view a recording of it – along with slides and other resources – on SharePoint:
View resources from the inclusive researcher workshop
(This link will not work for anyone without a University of Plymouth email account)
 

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