The School of Psychology at NUI Galway is committed to the upholding the principles of the Equality Challenge Unit’s Athena Swan Charter.

The Athena SWAN Charter was established in 2005 by the Equality Challenge Unit in the UK to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment in higher education and research. The Athena SWAN Charter is an accreditation framework that is used across the globe to support and transform gender equality in higher education and research.

In May 2015 the charter was expanded to recognise work undertaken in arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law (AHSSBL), and in professional and support roles, and for trans staff and students. The charter now recognises work undertaken to address gender equality more broadly, and not just barriers to progression that affect women.

In a major national initiative supported by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), access to the Athena SWAN framework was extended to Irish universities in 2015. Engagement with the Athena SWAN framework is a systematic way of bringing gender equality into strategic and operational planning and working toward improving the outcome for all staff.

NUI Galway signed up to the Athena SWAN charter in 2015 and identified the attainment of an Athena SWAN Bronze award as a key priority in Vision 2020, the University’s Strategic Plan 2015-2020. NUI Galway achieved the Athena SWAN Bronze award in April 2018 and this was renewed in 2021. This Bronze award is valid until April 2025.

Athena Swan New Logo 2022

The School of Psychology was awarded an Athena Swan Bronze Award in September 2021. This was the first School in the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies to achieve this distinction. The School established it’s new Athena Swan Self-Assessment Committee in September 2021 to implementation the four year gender equality action plan.