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A new cohort of more than 130 chemistry students and graduates from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds have enrolled on the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Broadening Horizons programme, increasing its intake by more than a third (38%) on its first pilot year.
Launched in September 2022, Broadening Horizons was established by the RSC after its Missing Elements report found that talented Black chemists are more likely to leave the profession at every stage of their career path after undergraduate studies than their peers. The programme offers aspiring chemists access to mentoring, networking, and opportunities to gain crucial industry experience from partner companies.
With positive feedback from both participants and partner companies on the inaugural programme, the RSC has expanded the places available and secured further industry backing. Charles River Laboratories, which specialises in products and services to help expedite the discovery, early-stage development, and safe manufacture of novel drugs and therapies, joins 10 of the world’s leading chemistry companies, including Unilever, AstraZeneca, and GSK, to support the programme.
Dr Helen Pain, CEO of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: “We launched the Broadening Horizons pilot last year to help enact the change that is needed to retain talented Black and minority ethnic chemists. The students and industry partners involved have told us just how valuable they found the programme, which makes us all the more determined to continue delivering an impactful experience for future cohorts.
“We’re excited to welcome the second cohort and are proud to have even more young people taking part this year as we continue this vital work to improve inclusion and diversity in our industry.”
Feedback from the inaugural cohort of 94 participants indicates the programme has so far been hugely valuable in creating an inclusive environment, opening networking opportunities, and showcasing the range of different career paths available in the chemical sciences.
Mechelle Williams, an undergraduate student at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, said: “To be able to walk into a room and see a lot of people and women that look like me was the biggest standout thing. For a long while, there was a point and time when I just wanted to stop. Being on this programme has reignited my fire.”
Carla Aldington, a PhD student at Imperial College London who has earned an internship with partner organisation Unilever, added: “The Broadening Horizons programme has been absolutely incredible. The first day when we were all together in the RSC’s Burlington House was remarkable. I have never stood in a room with so many other people of colour who are also chemists. For the first time in my whole academic career, I realised I did belong in the world of chemistry. That is a feeling I will treasure forever.”
The chemicals company Johnson Matthey provided mentorship opportunities for students in the first cohort, hosted a visit at its Reading site, and ultimately offered work placements for seven students upon completion of the programme.
Dr Liz Rowsell FRSC, Research and Development Director at Johnson Matthey, said: “While we’re still in the early stages of the pilot, Broadening Horizons has already proved to be a truly impactful programme. It’s been fantastic to meet all the students in the first cohort, discuss their experiences of studying chemistry, and give them some insight into what their future career might look like.
“We’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how best to engage and make a real difference in the programme. We have several work placements available to the students and our talent team is working hard to ensure they deliver meaningful opportunities for skills development.”
The pharmaceutical and biotechnology company GSK has also been involved in the programme from the outset and hosted 25 students at its Stevenage site where they took part in speed networking, visited working labs, and attended panel discussions.
Speaking during a site visit, Dr Rehana Sidat, Vice President of Risk Management at GSK, commented: “We all go through academic journeys, but our lived experiences reinforce who we are, and I think it’s really important to embrace that in our workforces and make sure that everybody has a sense of belonging and feels welcome.
“I think we’ve left the students with a really good sense of who we are, what we do and how they could potentially join GSK. If I can encourage even just one person to stay within the chemical sciences, that’s my job done.”
Open to students and recent graduates of chemistry in the UK or Republic of Ireland from a Black or minority ethnic background, the second year of the Broadening Horizons programme will run until summer 2024.
There are now 11 chemistry-focused businesses partnered with the programme: Nanomerics, RSSL, Syngenta, Unilever, Oxford Nanopore, AM Technology, AstraZeneca, Johnson Matthey, GSK, BASF, and Charles River Laboratories.
To stay up to date with the Broadening Horizons programme, please visit: https://rsc.li/broadeninghorizons.