On this International Women’s Day, the Society recognises and champions the ongoing importance of equality, diversity and inclusion in the mathematical sciences research community. The LMS Committee for Women and Diversity in Mathematics, together with the Royal Statistical Society and the Institute for Mathematics and its Applications, recently submitted a response to the Government consultation on Diversity in STEM, from the perspective of mathematics, statistics and data science.
The report provides a summary of key challenges across the fields of mathematics, statistics and data science, along with six shared recommendations to address these challenges at all levels. Specific suggestions include bringing back an AS-Level qualification in mathematics to encourage more students to take the subject post-GCSEs; developing new educational and training routes to increase participation in the data science and AI fields by students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds; and encouraging EPSRC/UKRI to introduce mid-career acceleration grants that are open to individuals who are no longer eligible for the New Investigator Award (NIA) scheme, and who have not recently applied for or held UKRI funding.
As stated in the report, “achieving greater diversity in the fields of mathematics and statistics is essential to societies’ goals of building a thriving cadre of mathematicians and statisticians and to using maths and statistics in the public interest. Steps to improve diversity within STEM won’t just benefit underrepresented colleagues, but everyone in the field, as well as the sectors where they are employed.”
You can read the full report here.