Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Astrophysics Research Institute (ARI) is committed to creating a friendly, safe, and welcoming environment for all, regardless of their level of experience, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental health status, personal appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, age, religion, nationality, or other similar characteristics.

ARI holds an Athena Swan Bronze award and is an Institute of Physics Juno Practitioner. These officially recognise that in addition to LJMU-wide policies, our department is working to ‘promote gender equality and to identify and address challenges particular to the department and discipline’. We will now work towards the IOP’s new inclusion model, which will go beyond gender equality and look at equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) more widely.

The ARI’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion committee represents all staff and students in the ARI, with the members from various groups in the department: PhD students, PDRAs, academic, technical and admin staff. The current chair is Professor Shiho Kobayashi. The role of the committee is to oversee improvements in the ARI environment and relations at all levels in the interests of wider equality and diversity by:

  • being a first point of contact for equality, diversity and inclusion issues or ideas within the department
  • embracing the six Juno principles of good practice
  • collating and annually reviewing statistical and qualitative data and receiving reports from relevant areas, including gender-disaggregated information on undergraduate, post-graduate and post-doctoral admissions as well as job applications, appointments, and promotions
  • Generating and implementing an Action Plan, including monitoring progress and regularly updating the plan based on feedback from staff and students
  • Reporting back to the departmental management board and central university committees to try and affect wider change in the pursuit of advancements in equality and diversity

Useful links