The British Science Association (BSA) is delighted to launch our new Inclusive Science Engagement Network.   

Over the next two years, the Network will use EDI best practice to support members to make their workplaces and activities more inclusive. The Network is part of the BSA’s current Wellcome Trust Sustaining Excellence project, which is accelerating EDI change for the BSA and wider science engagement sector.   

This Network will: 

• Connect individuals based in science engagement organisations and support them to share learning around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) 

• Support people who are committed to EDI and have the potential to make lasting change in their organisation. 

Organisational EDI action plans 

The network will support members in two key areas: 

1. Organisational EDI action plans 

2. Audience insight 

The first area of focus for the network is developing, reviewing and strengthening internal EDI action plans.  

These provide a strategic framework for organisations to map their position on EDI, to make swift progress towards achieving EDI goals. Action plans outline key objectives, actions and measures for driving impactful change across organisational structures, such as workplace culture, staff recruitment and development processes, external EDI accreditation, and diversity policy.

Having a clear organisational EDI action plan also impacts the way public-facing programmes are delivered by: 

• improving the collection of diversity data to improve existing programmes  
• developing useful tools, such as Equality Impact Analyses, to identify and respond to existing or potential areas of inequity 

The network offers a range of benefits for members and will: 

• provide a platform for organisations to develop, strengthen or adapt their own EDI action plans confidently and collaboratively 
• support members to proactively embed best practice in EDI through action learning, the sharing of case studies and reflective consultation. 

Audience Insight 

Understanding audiences is vital to ensure that science engagement is inclusive for people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse needs.  

The network will support members to: 

• Better understand their current and target audiences, considering the behaviours and long-term changes they hope their science engagement activities will achieve
• Test ideas about how audiences experience science engagement to build greater shared understanding of target audiences and their needs
• Learn from each other’s audience research and insights and explore how this could apply in their own organisations so projects, programmes and activities get delivered in the most inclusive way possible 

Join the Network 

We welcome applications from organisations running science engagement activities who are committed to championing EDI approaches in their work and want to learn more. 

We will assess the strength of applications based on the extent to which applicants meet the following criteria: 

• Demonstrable commitment to leading on the delivery and improvement of EDI activities and projects in their organisation 
• Active support for promoting EDI principles within their work 
• Capacity to create change within their organisation e.g. level of influence over how programmes and activities are run 
• Use of audience insight to improve engagement  
• Willingness to champion EDI, share best practice and learn from others in the sector 

Meetings 

There will be three meetings per year. These will consist of three half-day network sessions. A framework for monitoring progress will follow between these meetings.  

Financial support 

The BSA will provide each network member funding of up to £2,000 per year. This includes costs for trialling projects and activities, and covers staff time, and/ or any attendance for training. The BSA will reimburse all travel and expenses associated with membership 

Timeline 

Deadline for applications	Friday 4th October 2019 at 9am
Shortlisted applicants invited for phone interview	Tuesday 8 October 2019
Phone interviews for shortlisted applicants	Wednesday 16 October 2019
Applicants notified by	End October
First network meeting	Early-December (Date TBC)

For further information 

If you would like to find out more about our Inclusive Science Engagement Network or share your insights, please get in touch with Clio Heslop: [email protected]