2025 was an action-packed year for People and Culture activities. Alongside delivering on our Athena Swan action objectives, we also ran our biannual staff and student surveys.
Thank you again for helping us achieve such high response rates (86% for staff and 67% for students). These responses give us a far more accurate understanding of what is working well and where we need to improve. It was particularly encouraging to see so many students taking part, and we continue to explore better ways of integrating students into the Department. Together you highlighted strengths in communication, leadership, career development and inclusion as well as areas needing further attention, including how we handle reports of bullying, inductions and Professional Development Reviews (PDRs). These areas will form key priorities for the key ahead.
Our Athena Swan charter work has continued at pace, with key initiatives implemented and many milestones achieved ahead of schedule. We are progressing so well that we plan to apply for Gold in our next submission, extending beyond our current Silver status.
A number of initiatives have grown out of the Athena Swan charter action plan, which focuses on gender as well as wider equality and inclusion amongst staff and students. One example is the Emerging Leaders programme, led by Clare Mackay and Lynn Clee. This provides a support network for researchers transitioning to Principal Investigator and Associate Professor roles, offering coaching and guidance across essential areas. The current cohort will complete next year, and recruitment is already being planned for a new group starting in Autumn 2026.
Our PI peer-learning lunches also continue to be well attended, offering Principal Investigators valuable space to reflect, share challenges, and exchange best practice. Over the past year, topics for discussion have included understanding cultural differences, supporting grant applications, managing career development, and more. These sessions respond directly to themes raised by PIs and issues identified through surveys and other feedback.
While our Department-wide strategic initiatives are crucial, our working groups remain the lifeblood of People and Culture. They lead on events, share information, and take responsibility for key areas of work arising from the staff survey and Athena Swan action plan. We are delighted to have launched three new groups this year: the Neurodiversity and Disability Working Group, the student working group and the Medical Academic Working Group.
Events coordinated or supported by the working groups include, Black History Month activities, Career Development Sessions and the Oxford Health NIHR BRC Neurodiversity Conference. This two-day conference brought together researchers, clinicians, local organisations and members of the neurodivergent community. It was a truly inspirational event whose impact continues to grow - one that personally reshaped my understanding of what genuine inclusion in research looks like, and how important it is to ensure we do not inadvertently create barriers.