Astro Seminar: Carers in STEMM: Like Butter Spread Too Thin On Toast

We are three scientists, all called Laura, who also happen to be mothers. Based at University College London, the University of Manchester, and the University of Leeds we run three independent research programmes as UKRI Future Leaders Fellows. 

We have joined together as co-founders of ‘Carers in STEMM’ to champion equitable, accessible support for those navigating the balance between caregiving and careers. We define carers as parents but also all other types of caring. There is an urgent need to accelerate change to deliver initiatives that genuinely support carers, without adding to an already overworked community. We believe that opportunities for support need to be Flexible, Adaptable, Comprehensive and Transparent and discuss this in our Nature Careers Article 'Researcher parents are paying a high price for conference travel — here’s how to fix it'.

In this seminar we will discuss our recommendations from our article to better support academics balancing travel and caring responsibilities and share preliminary findings from our sector wide survey which has been carried out to capture the real-world experiences of UK academics who balance careers in STEMM with caregiving responsibilities. The data collected will serve as a catalyst for change, laying the groundwork for better, more inclusive support systems in academia.

More information can be found on our website: https://carersinstemm.co.uk/