Inclusion should be central for chemistry

The new Trump administration in the US has issued an executive order to end federal programmes on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and an executive action to repeal equity policies dating back to the time of the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

Orders of this type had been anticipated, though perhaps not the pace of change. Issued on 20 January – inauguration day – the executive order will dismantle all federal government DEI positions, plans, actions, initiatives, programmes, grants and contracts within 60 days, with all DEI staff placed on immediate paid administrative leave.

The swift pace and scale of these changes are an important reminder that progress is not linear and that in places, organisations or institutions where DEI is not yet part of the infrastructure, or where its influence has been reduced or removed, individual actions that make society more inclusive, accessible and safe become even more essential.

As people whose lives are shaped by chemistry, no matter our sub-discipline, geography or occupation, it is imperative that we work to make the places in which we work, study and socialise as welcoming and inclusive as possible.

The value of DEI

Proponents of DEI initiatives tend to recognise their value in at least one of two domains.

The first links to social justice, highlighting that people who are underrepresented in industries, roles and spaces have been systematically excluded and so significant work needs to be done to redress these discriminatory practices.

The second highlights the ‘business case’ for DEI, which has been shown to positively impact outcomes such as performance and profit while also increasing wellbeing.

People need to know that they will be supported to thrive

Clearly, both of these domains are as important for chemistry and our sister science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (Stemm) fields as they are for society. Significant progress towards improving DEI in Stemm has been made, but there is still much work to be done.

This work is important because it’s the right thing to do – the experience of studying chemistry, going into chemistry careers or participating in chemistry outreach and engagement should be open to and inclusive of everyone.

Additionally, as a community we often lament declining numbers of students studying our discipline or worry about general public interest in chemistry. Our business case therefore is to ensure that the opportunity and encouragement for people to study chemistry or to feel connection is extended in ways that reach more people. Similarly, once people, particularly those that are underrepresented or have been historically excluded, join our classes, research teams, offices or public engagement events, they need to know that they will be supported to thrive.

A call to action

It seems like this column has started the year calling out to you, the chemistry community. Last month I invited you to join me in sharing some #ChemistryConversations and this month I hope that those of us who are able can redouble our efforts to make chemistry as accessible and inclusive as possible.

Those of us who teach or train others have a particular responsibility in this space. We need to reflect on the ways we can continually improve inclusion in our classrooms or places of engagement.

Thinking about whose work we are citing, which scientists we mention by name and profile, and how we talk about scientific breakthroughs led by people who have done harm to certain groups of people is one important step as we consider our curriculum or training materials for the year ahead. Let’s try to ensure there are examples of people whose stories haven’t been celebrated in textbooks, particularly those from people underrepresented or historically excluded in chemistry.

It’s time for us to centre diversity, equity and inclusion

Considering the spaces in which we hold our lessons or programmes and their accessibility to people with disabilities, or how welcoming the environment might be for different audiences, is also important. Let’s choose venues based on their accessibility and think about accommodations such as sign language interpreters. When planning outreach or engagement programmes, let’s choose locations that are affordable or welcoming to people who may not have been to science events.

There’s also always so much more to learn about DEI and how language and best practice, much like our knowledge of science, is evolving over time. So, let’s commit to keeping up with the literature and engaging with relevant media.

Chemistry is often referred to as the central science; it’s time for us to centre diversity, equity and inclusion. We know that chemistry is often a core part of interdisciplinary solutions to some of our biggest challenges. When interdisciplinarity is combined with diverse ways of thinking, doing and approaching problems, we can not only do better science, but the experience can be more enriching, enjoyable and impactful.