About the diversity programme

The Diversity Programme was established with the aim of cultivating an inclusive, sustainable, diverse and vibrant physics community which is reflected in the Institute’s membership and governing bodies. 

We will work towards an Institute which will actively promote physics to all, so that ultimately the physics community will welcome and be representative of the population at large, with no barrier to anyone participating in physics as appropriate to their interests and ability.

The Diversity Programme achieves this by:

• Commissioning research on diversity in physics education and the physics community;
• Monitoring diversity in the Institute’s membership, governing bodies and activities;
• Providing guidance and support on diversity issues, to the Institute’s groups, boards and committees; physics-based companies and university physics departments;
• Linking into projects run by other parts of the Institute and external organisations to maximise impact.

The Institute recognises that the case for diversity is more than just legislative; there is a clear business and moral case. We live and work in an increasingly diverse society and successful implementation of equality and diversity in all aspects of the Institute’s work will ensure that colleagues, staff, members of the Institute and the physics community at large are valued, motivated and treated equitably.

Our current initiatives include Project Juno to address employment equality in university physics departments; a longitudinal study to determine physicist career paths after graduation; a pilot project to look at ways to encourage minority ethnic students to continue studying physics at university level; a survey of postdoctoral researchers’ experience and career plans; and a biennial lecture in honour of Elizabeth Johnson MBE.

Within IOP resources you will find statistics, reports and publications relating to Institute activities regarding gender, disability, participation of black and minority ethnic (BME) groups.

Within external resources you will find links to external groups and organisations which are also working to address diversity and inclusion issues.

If you would like to share your views or have any comments relating to diversity and inclusion in the physics community please get in touch, we warmly welcome your input.

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