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Young chemists for change – a perspective from Ireland on EDI’s impact for a sustainable future
Date
2026-07-06
Abstract
This Forum article evaluates the impact and gathers insights from the 2024 Young Chemists for Change (YCFC) conference, an equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)-centred event for early-career chemists in Ireland and the UK. YCFC, funded by the RSC Inclusion and Diversity Fund, combined plenary talks, an interactive workshop and anonymous pre-/post-event surveys to explore how participants understand EDI, experience inclusion in their institutions and perceive opportunities for progression within the chemical sciences. Demographic data show that most attendees belonged to at least one minority or otherwise underrepresented group, providing rich evidence on the lived realities of those most affected by inequity, but also highlighting limited engagement from decision-makers with greater influence. Quantitative analyses revealed that attendees generally reported a moderate-to-high sense of belonging and comfort in expressing their authentic selves, alongside stark gender, disability and cross-cultural disparities in perceived representation, advancement opportunities and cross-cultural collaboration. Qualitative survey and workshop data showed that, according to YCFC participants, EDI should be primarily experienced as an everyday climate underpinned by peer allyship, engaged supervision and meaningful institutional commitment, rather than box-ticking exercises. These findings are situated within the wider Irish and UK policy landscape, in which national EDI and research-innovation strategies increasingly position inclusive cultures as prerequisites for scientific excellence and sustainable growth. We conclude with recommendations for future EDI-focused initiatives, including intentional engagement of senior decision-makers and allies, and argue that sustained, data-driven interventions are essential to embed EDI structurally so that future generations of chemists no longer experience it as a separate agenda.
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Description
Publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry
Citation
RSC Sustainability
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Brytan_2026_Young.pdf
Adobe PDF, 556.63 KB
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Funding code
Funding Information
Sustainable Development Goals
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License
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International