The School of Chemistry has received a national award in recognition of its commitment to good employment practices in recruiting, retaining and promoting women.

The school has achieved the bronze Athena SWAN (Scientific Women’s Academic Network) award, which celebrates university departments that support female staff and students in the fields of science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM). Bristol's School of Physiology and Pharmacology has also been successful in renewing its silver Athena SWAN award.

The Athena SWAN Charter and awards are jointly owned by the Equality Challenge Unit and the UKRC, and are funded by Equality Challenge Unit, the Department of Health, the Royal Society and the Biochemical Society.

Professor Tim Gallagher, from the School of Chemistry said: ‘Chris Willis and Carmen Galan deserve a lot of credit for this achievement, but preparing the bid also engaged many here on the challenges faced by the school, and more importantly on how we could best address them. Bronze is a first step and will, I’m sure, lead to a shift in culture from which the whole school will benefit enormously.'

Head of the School of Physiology and Pharmacology, Professor Bridget Lumb, commented: 'The renewal of a silver SWAN award confirms that the school continues to build on its strong ethos to provide a positive working environment by developing new strategies that contribute to the sector's and the University's aims of supporting women in science and technology.'