Equality, diversity and inclusion

EDI in the Faculty of Natural Sciences

The Faculty of Natural Sciences (FoNS) at Imperial College London creates world-changing impact through its science. We realise that this can only be delivered by creating and nurturing an inclusive and respectful community. We believe that the health and well-being of our students and staff will be enhanced by developing a culture where everybody is valued and celebrated. 

We are committed to identifying and addressing structures and practices that maintain inequality and supporting members of our community encountering the barriers that discrimination presents. We partner with others at the College committed to taking positive action to improve the opportunities and experiences of all members of our community.

The overarching aim of the work that we do is to make FoNS a more diverse, accepting, open and flexible place to work and study. Our EDI strategy is focused on developing and implementing sector-leading approaches to breaking down barriers to studying and working at Imperial College London as well as providing training and support so that everyone sees the importance and value of a diverse community and that equity, diversity and inclusion become a natural part of everything we do.  

The Faculty EDI Strategy is lead by the Associate Dean for EDI, working with the Faculty EDI Coordinator and the Faculty Projects Officer.

Our Strategy

Coordinate: Ensure good practice is shared across Departments within FoNS and with the wider College.
Attract: Develop recruitment, mentoring and support approaches that serve to attract, appoint and retain a wider diversity of staff and students. 
Support: We will establish structures that will foster a supportive and inclusive environment for staff and students. 
Empower and Celebrate: Celebrate best practice, empower underrepresented members of our community and increase our understanding of diversity to work more successfully towards equity. 

EDI Committee

The FoNS EDI Committee, chaired by Bernadette Byrne (Associate Dean: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for FoNS), meets termly to discuss departmental EDI activities, coordinate a Faculty-supported approach, and communicate best practice among our members. 

Any queries relating to the FoNS EDI Committee should be sent to Hannah Cline at h.cline@imperial.ac.uk.  

Your Voice

Engaging with our community is vital to fostering an inclusive environment where all voices are heard and valued. To shape our strategy and ensure our EDI activities and initiatives are effective, we encourage our staff and students to anonymously provide feedback on their priorities and concerns.  

You can provide your feedback anonymously via this form or by emailing fonsedandedi@imperial.ac.uk