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 2025 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.

Meanwhile, the School of Law successfully renewed its Bronze Award.

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.

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.”