The Department of Biology applied for an Athena SWAN Bronze Department Award in the November 2018 round. Biology is the first Department in Maynooth University to apply for accreditation. Results from the November 2018 submission round will be known by April 2019. The application was prepared by the Biology Self-Assessment Team (SAT). The SAT is chaired by lecturer Dr Karen English, who also sits of the institutional Gender Equality Steering Group.
| Name | Grade | Role | |
| Dr Karen English | Lecturer | karen.english@mu.ie | Biology SAT Chair |
| Professor Paul Moynagh | Professor | paul.moynagh@mu.ie | Head of Dept |
| Dr Joanne Masterson | Lecturer | joanne.masterson@mu.ie | SAT member |
| Gillian O'Meara | Senior Technician | gillian.omeara@mu.ie | SAT member |
| Terry Roche | Administrative Officer | terry.roche@mu.ie | SAT member |
| Dr Paul Dowling | Lecturer | paul.dowling@mu.ie | SAT member |
| Dr Clementina Sidoli O'Connor | Executive Assistant | clementina.sidolioconnor@mu.ie | SAT member |
| Professor Bernard Mahon | Professor | bernard.mahon@mu.ie | SAT member |
| Dr Mark Robinson | Lecturer | mark.robinson@mu.ie | SAT member |
| Ms Olubukola Adebowale | Undergraduate | olubukola.adebowale.2017@mumail.ie | SAT member |
| Ms Merissa Cullen | Postgraduate | merissa.cullen.2015@mumail.ie | SAT member |
| Dr Ronan Bergin | Postdoctoral Researcher | ronan.a.bergin@mu.ie | SAT member |
The Biology Athena SWAN Gender Equality Steering Group with the Bronze Award, L-R: Dr. Ronan Bergin, Gillian O’Meara, Prof. Paul Moynagh, Prof. Bernard Mahon, Dr. Paul Dowling, Dr. Joanne Masterson, Terry Roche, Dr. Karen English, Dr. Mark Robinson and Clementina Sidoli O’Connor
Women are well represented in Biology (>50%) at all levels from undergraduate to Senior Lecturer in the pipeline (See Figure). The pipeline becomes “leaky” at the more senior academic grades where women are poorly represented.
Our main action here was to establish a mentoring programme for postdoctoral researchers and academic staff with a focus of women’s careers.
Sub-heading: ‘But sex and gender are irrelevant in my research field…’
Prof. Bernard Mahon provides a brief review a study critiquing experimental design focusing on the analysis of sex and gender in research. (Tannenbaum, C., Ellis, R.P., Eyssel, F. et al. Sex and gender analysis improves science and engineering. Nature 575, 137–146 (2019)).
The National Committee for Gender Equality’s statement on COVID-19 and gender equality in Irish higher education can be found at the link below.
https://hea.ie/assets/uploads/2019/07/Statement-on-the-COVID-19-pandemic-and-gender-equality-in-Irish-higher-education-1.pdf
Women in Biology (Showcasing recent successes at all levels)
Maynooth University congratulates Dr Lorna Lopez on receiving a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) grant for her genetic research examining circadian rhythms in families. Dr Lopez received the €1.5 million award under the ERC Starting Grants scheme to help early-career scientists and scholars conduct pioneering research across all disciplines and to build their own
Dr Lorna Lopez awarded €1.5M European Research Council (ERC) grant | Maynooth University
