Athena Swan Gender Equality Awards to three UCC Schools

24 Apr 2026

As University College Cork (UCC) marks ten years on its Athena Swan journey, we are proud to announce the success of three more School applications in the November 2026 Athena Swan submission round, a significant milestone in the University’s ongoing commitment to advancing equality, diversity and inclusion across the entire UCC community.

Both the Schools of Pharmacy and Chemistry, two of the first schools in the university to join the Athena Swan project in 2016, achieved their first Silver Athena Swan Silver Award, which recognises their work in driving a strong culture of inclusion through evidence-based action.

Led by Dr Suzanne McCarthy and Dr Kevin Murphy, Pharmacy is the first School in the College of Medicine and Health to reach this level of recognition.

Head of School, Professor Brendan Griffin, welcomed the achievement: “This Silver Award reflects a sustained, collective effort across our School to embed equality, diversity and inclusion into everything we do—from student experience to staff development and leadership.”

Head of School of Chemistry, Professor Anita Maguire, said:  “This award recognises the dedication of our staff and students to creating a supportive and equitable culture, and it motivates us to continue building on this progress in meaningful ways.”

Meanwhile, the School of Law successfully renewed its Bronze Award. Dean of the School of Law, Professor Conor O’Mahony, commented:
 “Our renewed Bronze Award affirms the strength of our initiatives and our determination to continuously improve, ensuring our School remains inclusive and accessible to all.”

L-R: School of Law SAT - Dr Fiona Donson (Chair/Vice Dean EDI School of Law), Niamh Guiry, Kate Liffey-Faherty, Dympna O'Donovan, Donna Noonan, Professor Femi Amao, Pat Rice, Dr Claire Murray.

Athena Swan panel assessors commended each School for examples of innovative and impactful good practice. In the School of Law application, led by Dr Fiona Donson, this included:

• the extension of the RDJ Diversity Scholarship to support DARE entry students and asylum seekers,
• the appointment of a Vice-Dean for EDI, and
• plans to introduce a structured work allocation model for professional, managerial and administrative staff.

The School of Pharmacy was commended for initiatives including:

• the School Athena Swan Perpetual Trophy for student-led inclusion efforts,
• the supplementation of the University’s Academic Returners Scheme with an additional €2,000 on return from extended leave (e.g. maternity, adoption), and
• dedicated Bystander Intervention training for fourth-year undergraduates as part of pre-placement training.

In Chemistry’s application, led by Dr Elizabeth Gilchrist, assessors highlighted:

• the School’s leadership in advancing improvements to UCC’s paternity leave policy, including provision for backfill, and
• plans to incorporate a breastfeeding space in the refurbishment of the Kane Building.

L-R: School of Chemistry SAT - Chloe Cody, Eabha McMahon, Anita Maguire, Eric Moore, Anna Hogan, Liz Gilchrist, Claire Tobin, Donal Keane, Brendan Bulfin, Florence McCarthy. (Not pictured Brenda Long and Mark Breen).

Professor Stephen Byrne, Deputy President and Registrar and Chair of UCC’s Gender and Athena Swan Working Group, praised the three Schools’ achievements: 

 “These awards demonstrate the depth of commitment across our Schools to driving real, measurable change in EDI, and they set a strong example for the wider University community.”

Dr Avril Hutch, Director of UCC’s EDI Unit, added: “This success reflects the power of collaborative, data-informed action and the dedication of colleagues who are working to ensure the advancement of equality, diversity and inclusion at UCC.”

These achievements reinforce UCC’s position as a national leader in EDI and highlight the collective effort required to create lasting institutional change.  Eighteen UCC Schools hold Athena Swan awards (including Tyndall National Institute). UCC has held institutional Athena Swan accreditation since 2016, at Silver level since 2025.