Introduction and background
ASSET 2016 is the fourth Athena Survey of Science, Engineering and Technology. It aims to explore the association between
gender and experiences, expectations and perceptions of the workplace among STEMM academics, and to contribute to
work improving conditions for STEMM academics across the sector. You have received an invitation to participate in this survey,
as a STEMM academic in the 52 universities which make up our sample. Previous ASSET surveys cumulatively received over 14,500
respondents from more than 70 universities.
What topics are covered in this survey?
The survey covers eight topic areas, each in its own section:
Perceptions of gender inequality
Your job and career
Caring responsibilities, leave and career breaks
Recruitment and retention
Training and leadership
Promotion and development
Who is running ASSET 2016?
ASSET 2016 is managed by Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) and jointly funded by the Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering,
Royal Society of Biology and the Academy of Medical Sciences.
Will my university know whether I have participated?
No. Answers are strictly confidential.
All data will be held confidentially in accordance with the requirements of the UK’s data protection legislation. At no point will the
information you provide be shared in a way that would allow you to be personally identified. Any material published or provided to your
institution will be anonymised and will never include information in a way that could be used to identify you.
How long will the survey take to complete?
The survey should take 20 to 30 minutes to complete. The survey has been designed to save your responses as you go. As long as
you use the same computer, you can exit and return to the survey at a later time to complete it. Since the survey is not tied to your email
address or identity, there is no way to complete the survey across different computers. We greatly appreciate your time and input.
Do I have to answer all the questions?
No. You are free not to answer any question you do not wish to. The only exceptions to this are when a question directs participants
down one of a number of potential routes through the survey. These questions are indicated by an asterisk (*). At these points, an
option to decline to answer will be present.
While we hope that you answer the survey in full, you are free to stop answering questions at any point. Be aware, however, that the
survey submits data at the end of each section, so we may use your data even if you do not reach the end of the survey.
A note on gender terminology used in this survey:
ECU acknowledges that gender identity is complex for many people and in many ways. We are committed to the inclusion of trans and
non-binary academics in our work, and have attempted to construct a questionnaire that captures information from as wide a range of
people as possible. Despite this, there are occasions where you will be asked to compare “men” with “women”. We recognise the
limitations of this approach, and ask you to consider these questions as a reflection of our desire to understand differences in working
life as they relate to these two genders, rather than as an attempt to reinforce a gender binary.
Alternative format and further questions
If you require an alternative format of this survey, or have any further questions or comments about it, please contact Jamie Lawson,
Researcher, at [email protected] or call 020 7438 1010.
About ECU
Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) works to further and support equality and diversity for staff and students in higher education institutions
across all four nations of the UK and in colleges in Scotland. We provide a central resource of advice and guidance for the sector.
Our approach is evidence-based, using research to identify and change practices that unfairly exclude, marginalise or disadvantage
people. This evidence supports institutions to remove barriers to progression and success for all staff and students.
ECU is a registered charity funded by the Scottish Funding Council, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales and Universities
UK, and through direct subscription from higher education institutions in England and Northern Ireland.
For more information about ECU, please visit www.ecu.ac.uk.
Consent and eligibility
* 1. In order to take part in this research, we ask you to confirm the following statement:
I have been informed of the purpose of this research and understand who to contact if I have questions
about it. I understand that all information about me will be treated in the strictest confidence and that I will
not be personally identified in any data shared with my institution or written work arising from the research.
I understand that the survey submits data at the end of every section I complete, so my data may be used
even if I do not reach the end of the survey.
I have read the above statement and agree to voluntarily participate in the research as outlined to me
I do not agree to voluntarily participate in the research as outlined to me
* 2. This survey is intended for academic staff working in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths, or
Medicine-related fields (STEMM). Please confirm that you are eligible to complete this survey.
Yes, I am on an academic contract and working in a STEMM-related area of work
No, I am not on an academic contract and working in a STEMM-related area of work
SECTION 1: Your discipline and institution
The following pages will ask you a few questions about you and your disciplinary and institutional
affiliations. All data will be held confidentially and will not be used to identify you as an individual.
This data will be used to group responses by discipline and institutional type.
Please note that additional monitoring questions appear at the end of this survey. Answers to those
questions provide data that is vital in providing context for our analysis, and a deeper
understanding of our results. Please make every effort to reach that section.
3. Please indicate the option that best describes your gender:
Male
Female
Prefer not to say
If you use another term, please write it here:
Gender identity refers to a person's internal perception and experience of their gender, and may include the way in which their gender
is expressed. A person's gender identity is not necessarily the same as the gender they were assigned at birth. We are interested in
this data as part of our commitment to gender equality in STEMM.
4. Is your current gender identity the same as that assigned to you at birth?
Yes
No
Prefer not to say
* 5. For which institution do you work?
* 6. Please select the description which best matches the field in which you mainly work:
Agriculture, forestry & food science
7. Please indicate which of the following best describes your main academic field.
Animal science
Agriculture
Forestry and arboriculture
Food and beverage studies
Agricultural sciences
Other field in this area
Archaeology and forensic science
8. Please indicate which of the following best describes your main academic field.
Forensic and archaeological sciences
Archaeology
Other field in this area
Architecture, built environment & planning
9. Please indicate which of the following best describes your main academic field.
Architecture
Building
Landscape and garden design
Planning (urban, rural and regional)
Other field in this area
Biosciences
10. Please indicate which of the following best describes your main academic field.
Biology
Botany
Zoology
Genetics
Microbiology
Sport and exercise science
Molecular biology, biophysics and biochemistry
Other field in this area
Earth, marine and environmental sciences
11. Please indicate which of the following best describes your main academic field.
Geology
Science of aquatic and terrestrial environments
Other field in this area
Electrical, electronic and computer engineering
12. Please indicate which of the following best describes your main academic field.
Electronic and electrical engineering
Computer engineering
Other field in this area
Geography and environmental studies
13. Please indicate which of the following best describes your main academic field.
Physical geographical sciences
Human and social geography
Other field in this area
IT, systems science and computer software engineering
14. Please indicate which of the following best describes your main academic field.
Computer science
Information systems
Software engineering
Artificial intelligence
Health informatics
Games
Computer generated visual & audio effects
Other field in this area
Mathematics
15. Please indicate which of the following best describes your main academic field.
Mathematics
Operational research
Statistics
Other field in this area
Mechanical, aero and production engineering
16. Please indicate which of the following best describes your main academic field.
Mechanical engineering
Aerospace engineering
Production and manufacturing engineering
Other field in this area
Mineral, metallurgy & materials engineering
17. Please indicate which of the following best describes your main academic field.
Minerals technology
Metallurgy
Ceramics & glass
Polymers & textiles
Other field in this area
Nursing & allied health professions
18. Please indicate which of the following best describes your main academic field.
Anatomy, physiology and pathology
Complementary medicines, therapies and well-being
Nutrition
Ophthalmics
Aural and oral sciences
Nursing
Medical technology
Other field in this area
Psychology and behavioural sciences
19. Please indicate which of the following best describes your main research field.
Psychology
Other field in this area
SECTION 2: Perceptions of gender inequality
A key focus of this survey is on the experience of bias and inequality with relation to gender within
departments and institutions. For the following questions, we are specifically interested in any bias
affecting men and women, while acknowledging that other genders exist.
20. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements:
Strongly
disagree
Disagree
Somewhat
disagree
Neutral / no
opinion
Somewhat
agree
Agree
Strongly
agree
In general, men and
women are equally well
represented (in terms of
numbers) in my
department
In general, men and
women are treated
equally in my department
My department is
committed to promoting
gender equality in
STEMM
If I had any concerns
about gender equality in
my department, I would
know who to approach
My department is (or
would be) responsive to
concerns about gender
equality
21. What is the gender balance of academic staff in your department?
For the purposes of this survey, "academic staff" includes all members of staff who possess an academic
contract with the university. This includes research only staff (eg. postdocs), teaching only staff (eg.
teaching fellows), fixed term or part time staff, and technical staff.
More women than men
Roughly equal numbers of men and women
More men than women
22. In your department, have you perceived a difference in any of the following with regards to gender?
Yes,
Yes, always Yes, often to occasionally
to the
the
to the
advantage of advantage of advantage of
women
women
women
Allocation of desirable
and sought after tasks or
roles
Distribution of office
space
The receipt of mentoring
and/or other guidance in
making career decisions
Representation in senior
positions
Allocation of
administrative tasks
Allocation of pastoral
care roles (e.g. providing
support for students’
emotional wellbeing)
I have not
noticed
a difference
Yes,
occasionally Yes, often to Yes, always
to the
the
to the
advantage of advantage of advantage of
men
men
men
Perceptions of gender inequality
23. In your department, have you perceived a difference in any of the following with regards to gender?
Yes,
Yes, always Yes, often to occasionally
to the
the
to the
advantage of advantage of advantage of
women
women
women
Attention from senior
management
REF 2014 submissions
Access to informal circles
of influence
Receiving positive
feedback from
management
Recruitment and
selection for academic
posts
Promotion decisions
I have not
noticed a
difference
Yes,
occasionally Yes, often to Yes, always
to the
the
to the
advantage of advantage of advantage of
men
men
men
Perceptions of gender inequality
24. In your department, have you perceived a difference in any of the following with regards to gender?
Yes,
Yes, always Yes, often to occasionally
to the
the
to the
advantage of advantage of advantage of
women
women
women
I have not
noticed a
difference
Yes,
occasionally Yes, often to Yes, always
to the
the
to the
advantage of advantage of advantage of
men
men
men
Allocation of formal
training and career
development
opportunities
Allocation of teaching
Distribution of lab space
or equipment
Invitations to lectures,
conferences, etc.
Appointments to
editorships of journals
Recognition of
intellectual contributions
during meetings,
conferences, workshops
etc.
25. When comparing the ease with which individuals can reach senior positions in your field, it is in
general:
Much easier for a
woman
Easier for a
woman
Slightly easier for
The same for
Slightly easier for
Much easier for a
a woman
women and men
a man
Easier for a man
man
26. If you would like to tell us more about your experiences or perceptions of gender bias (or lack thereof)
please do so here:
Perceptions of gender inequality
27. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements:
I
AS
have initiatives
never do not
heard run at Strongly
Somewhat
Somewhat
Strongly
of AS this level disagree Disagree disagree Neutral
agree
Agree agree
Athena SWAN has had a positive impact on
the work environment of
my school/department
Athena SWAN has had a positive impact on
the work environment of my institution as a
whole
28. If you would like to tell us more about your perceptions and experiences of Athena SWAN, or any other
gender equality initiatives, please do so here:
SECTION 3: Your job and career
This section asks questions about your current post and working environment. Your responses will
help us to examine the relationship between contract type, career satisfaction and experiences, and
whether it differs by gender.
29. Which of the following best describes your post? (If you hold multiple positions, please select the most
senior.)
Head of institution (vice-chancellor, principal)
Reader, Principal research fellow
Chief operating officer, registrar, university secretary
Clinical scientist fellow
Head/ director of major academic area
Senior lecturer (post-1992 university)
Director of major function/ group of functions e.g. finance,
corporate services, HR
Lecturer
Clinical lecturer
Head of school/ division/ department
Teaching fellow
Centre director
Researcher, research fellow, senior research assistant
Senior function head
Post-doc, PDRA
Professor
Research assistant
Associate professor
Teaching assistant
Function Head
Technical staff
Senior lecturer (Pre-1992 university), principal lecturer (post1992 university)
Other (please specify)
Your job and career
30. What is your current salary band?
Options are given in FTE (Full Time Equivalent). If your salary is pro-rata, please indicate which salary
band you would be in if you were employed full-time in the same role.
Less than £17,500 pa FTE
£37,250 - £42,189 pa FTE
£17, 500 - £22,439 pa FTE
£42,190 - £47,124 pa FTE
£22,440 - £27,374 pa FTE
£47,125 - £52,064 pa FTE
£27,375 - £32,314 pa FTE
£52,064 - £57,000 pa FTE
£32,315 - £37,249 pa FTE
More than £57,000 pa FTE
31. Answering to the nearest completed number of years, how long have you been:
Less
than a
year
1 year
10 years
2 years 3 years 4 years 5 years 6 years 7 years 8 years 9 years or more
Employed in your current
post?
Employed in your current
department?
Employed at your current
university?
32. Which of the following best describe the nature of your current academic contract? (Select as many as
apply.)
Teaching
Research
Clinical work
A joint contract with the NHS and a university
Other (please specify)
33. Were you included in your department’s REF 2014 submission?
Yes
No
I don't know
Please select the combination of options below that best describes your current contract:
34. What is your contract 'mode'?
Full time
Part time
Variable hours
35. What is your contract 'type'?
Open ended/permanent
Fixed term
36. If you cannot describe your contract using the options above, please describe it briefly here:
Your job and career
37. Please indicate your awareness and/or use of the following working options within your current
department:
I know this is not
available
I know this is available
but I have not used it
I have used this in my
current post
I don't know if this is
available
Being able to ask for
time off at short notice
Flexibility in hours/days
worked/work pattern
Home/remote working
Job share
38. If you would like to tell us more about your experiences relating to any of the above, please do so here:
Your job and career
39. With reference to your current role, and regardless of the terms of your contract, please use the scales
below to indicate how much time you spent engaged in the following activities in the last completed
academic term.
(If you have not been in your current role for one completed term, please estimate based on your current
experience.)
None of my time
Marking
Postgraduate
supervision
Carrying out clinical
duties
Recruiting PhD students
Administering existing
research grants
Teaching postgraduates
(including all student
contact connected to
teaching)
Course development
(preparing course
schedules, lecture or
other teaching materials
etc)
Applying for grants
A small amount of
my time
A significant
proportion of my
time
Most of my time
All or almost all of
my time
Your job and career
40. With reference to your current role, and regardless of the terms of your contract, please use the scales
below to indicate how much time you spent engaged in the following activities in the last completed
academic term.
(If you have not been in your current role for one completed term, please estimate based on your current
experience.)
None of my time
Public engagement
activities
Journal editorship
Course / module
leadership
Writing papers
Collecting or analysing
data
Peer review of journal
articles
Pastoral care duties
(e.g. providing support
for students’ emotional
wellbeing)
Teaching
undergraduates
(including all student
contact connected to
teaching)
Academic advising (e.g.
for undergraduate
students) or other forms
of non pastoral, non
teaching student contact
Running research
projects (as PI or CI)
Departmental
administrative duties
A small amount of
my time
A significant
proportion of my
time
Most of my time
All or almost all of
my time
Your job and career
There are many factors that may contribute to academic career success. For the following
questions, please indicate to what extent you think each of the following would affect the
career success of an average academic in your field.
41. In your opinion, what effect, if any, does each of the following have on the career success of an
average academic in your field?
Extremely
negative
Flexible working hours
Being younger than
average in the field
Being a woman
Extensive administrative
experience
Extensive teaching
experience
Having a heavy
administrative load
Having a trans or nonbinary gender identity
Having been involved in
well regarded research
projects
Receiving support or
encouragement from
peers
Negative
Slightly
negative
No effect
Slightly
positive
Positive
Extremely
positive
Your job and career
42. In your opinion, what effect, if any, does each of the following have on the career success of an
average academic in your field?
Extremely
negative
Having received teaching
training (e.g. the PGCAP)
Being lucky
Recruiting multiple PhD
students
Taking maternity,
paternity, shared
parental, adoption, or
any other form of
parental leave
Having a particular set of
religious beliefs
(including atheism)
Having a heavy teaching
load
Requiring reasonable
adjustments to be made
to the working
environment
Having a substantive
research output
Being able to work long
hours
Having a nonheterosexual sexual
orientation
Having good references
from a previous post
Having a non-white
ethnic identity
Negative
Slightly
negative
No effect
Slightly
positive
Positive
Extremely
positive
Your job and career
43. In your opinion, what effect, if any, does each of the following have on the career success of an
average academic in your field?
Extremely
negative
Receiving support or
encouragement from
senior colleagues or
managers
Receiving formal and
regular mentoring
Taking a career break
Having visible role
models (people who are
similar to you who are
successful)
Being older than average
in the field
Having a supportive
family and/or partner
Possessing an award in
recognition of teaching
skill
Having disclosed a
disability to an employer
Having extensive
experience of public
engagement
Being able to easily
move geographic
location
Successfully applying for
grants
Being married, civilpartnered or in a
cohabiting relationship
Not having children or
other caring
responsibilities
Negative
Slightly
negative
No effect
Slightly
positive
Positive
Extremely
positive
Your job and career
44. Please indicate the extent to which you feel the following factors have affected your academic career to
date.
This has had
This has had
an extremely This has had
a slightly
This has had This has had
negative
a negative
negative
This has had
a slightly
a positive
effect on my effect on my effect on my no effect on positive effect effect on my
career
career
career
my career
on my career
career
This has had
an extremely
positive effect
on my career
My legal sex
My sexual orientation
My race or ethnicity
My marital or civil
partnership status
My disability status
My religious affiliation (or
lack thereof)
My caring responsibilities
(or lack thereof)
My age (relative to my
peers)
My gender identity
My country of origin
45. If you would like to tell us more about your experience or perception of factors that could affect
academic career success, please do so here:
Your job and career
46. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements, relating to life
in your department.
Strongly
disagree
I work very hard,
compared to others in
my department
My teaching is valued by
students
My teaching is valued by
department
management
Workload is allocated
transparently
Workload is allocated
fairly
I often work long hours
I could count on a good
reference from my
department, if I needed
one
The departmental
budget is allocated fairly
Lab or office space is
allocated fairly
Disagree
Somewhat
disagree
Neither
agree nor
disagree
Somewhat
agree
Agree
Strongly
agree
N/A
SECTION 4: Caring responsibilities, leave and career breaks
The following questions deal with various situations under which an individual may take leave from
work. Your response will help us to understand how such experiences may impact upon working
life and progression, and whether this impact differs by gender.
47. Are you a parent or legal guardian of any children aged 18 or younger?
Yes
No
48. Are you the primary carer or assistant for an adult requiring care?
Yes
No
49. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements.
Strongly
disagree
Disgree
Somewhat
disagree
Neither agree
or disagree
Somewhat
agree
If I needed to, I could
easily relocate to another
place in the UK
I can count on the
support of my family
and/or a partner
I am involved in the social
life of my department
Successes in my working
life are celebrated in
my department
50. Have you ever taken disability leave or leave for a long term health condition?
Yes
No
Prefer not to say
Agree
Strongly
agree
* 51. Have you ever taken, or are you currently taking, any of the following forms of leave from an academic
contract? (Please select all that apply.)
Maternity leave
Paternity leave
Additional paternity leave
Adoption leave
Shared parental leave
Unpaid parental leave (see note below)
No, I have never taken any of the above forms of leave from an academic contract
I prefer not to say
If you have taken any other form of parental etc leave that is not listed above, please name it here:
Unpaid parental leave is an entitlement to 18 weeks’ leave for each child and adopted child, up to their 18th birthday.
Caring responsibilities, leave and career breaks
* 52. How long ago did you return from work from your most recent period of maternity, paternity, adoption,
shared parental or unpaid parental leave?
I am currently on one of these types of leave
Within the last 12 months
1-3 years ago
Four or more years ago
Prefer not to say
Caring responsibilities, leave and career breaks
53. Please indicate how helpful each of the following was in facilitating your return to work after your
maternity, paternity, adoption, parental or other type of parental leave. (If you did not have access to, or did
not use an option, indicate this by selecting N/A.)
Very
unhelpful
Keeping in touch with
the department while
away
Flexible working
hours
Initial part-time
working building up to
full time
Lower initial teaching
load
Lower initial
administrative load
Lower initial research
supervision
Lower initial clinical
work load
Parents’ network,
support group at work
Additional block of
shared parental leave
Facilities for
continued baby
feeding
Childcare services at
workplace
Unhelpful Somewhat unhelpful No effect
Somewhat
helpful
Helpful
Very
helpful
N/A
Caring responsibilities, leave and career breaks
54. Please indicate whether your institution provided you with information on the following when preparing
you for your most recent or current period of maternity, paternity, adoption, parental, or other type of
parental leave.
My institution
did not provide
information
and I did not
ask
Childcare related policies, including payments and benefits
Facilities for continued baby feeding on return to work
Contacts for supporting services (e.g. HR, occupational health)
Time off for antenatal appointments
Health and safety assessment
How and when to notify your institution of your intentions regarding
return to work
Workplace childcare facilities
Leave cover and handover
Keeping in Touch (KIT) days, and other options for staying in touch
with your employer while on leave
Options for phased return, or other forms of workload adjustment
on return
Rest facilities during pregnancy
I asked for
information,
but received
none
Information
I asked for and was provided
received
without me
information
asking
Caring responsibilities, leave and career breaks
55. With regards to your current or most recent period of maternity, paternity, adoption, shared or other
parental leave, how prepared do you / did you feel to return to work?
Extremely
underprepared
Underprepared
Somewhat
underprepared
Neutral
Somewhat
prepared
Prepared
Extremely
prepared
56. If you would like to tell us more about your experiences of taking maternity, paternity, adoption, shared
or other type of parental leave, please do so here.
Caring responsibilities, leave and career breaks
* 57. Have you ever taken a career break during your academic career?
By career break, we mean a period of leave which followed a resignation/unenforced departure at the end
of a contract. This does not include periods of maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, other
parental or sick leave.
Yes
No
Prefer not to say
Caring responsibilities, leave and career breaks
58. How long was your most recent career break?
Less than 12 months
1-2 years
3-5 years
5-8 years
More than 8 years
59. How easy or difficult was it for you to return to work in academia after your career break?
Very difficult
Difficult
Somewhat
difficult
Neutral
Somewhat easy
Easy
Very easy
Positively
Very positively
60. To what extent has your career break affected your career progression?
Very negatively
Negatively
Somewhat
negatively
No effect/ neutral
Somewhat
positively
SECTION 5: Recruitment and retention
Gender may impact on recruitment and retention in a number of different ways. The
following questions ask about your experience of applying for, interviewing and
obtaining academic posts, and about your desire to remain working in a STEM field.
If you are on a fixed term contract that has been renewed, please answer with
reference to the original recruitment process for your post.
61. How did you obtain your current post?
Application for advertised post
Invitation/nomination
Formal promotion round
Ad hoc promotion
Other (please specify)
* 62. Were you interviewed for your current post?
Yes
No
Prefer not to say
Recruitment and retention
The following questions relate to the gender composition of the final panel that interviewed
you for your current post. Please note that they will refer to ‘gender presentation’,which is
the outwards appearance of gender (e.g. clothes, mannerisms) that you may have used to
allocate an individual to a particular gender category. Gender presentation can be
complex, and people may appear to belong to a gender with which they do not identify.
These questions deal with your perceptions of the people who interviewed you. Please
answer each to the best of your memory.
63. How many people were on your final interview panel?
64. Based on gender presentation, roughly how many of the number above were:
Women
Men
We recognise that other gender identities exist. Therefore, we do not expect the numbers of men and women to necessarily add up to
the the total number of panelists you gave.
Recruitment and retention
65. Please indicate how influential each of the following were when deciding to apply for or take up the post
in your current department.
Not at all
influential
Flexibility of working
hours
Work/life balance offered
by the department or
institution
Childcare facilities
available in the institution
A diverse and inclusive
working environment
An Athena SWAN award
at department or
institutional level
Staff networks (e.g. a
women's network, or
staff LGBTQ group)
within the institution
The reputation for
training or career
development offered by
the institution or
department
Slightly
influential
Somewhat
influential
Influential
Very influential
Extremely
influential
Recruitment and retention
66. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements, relating to life
in your department.
Strongly
disagree
My working environment
is friendly
Communication within
the department is poor
My peers are supportive
Senior colleagues are
supportive
I have colleagues who I
consider role models
(people who are similar
to me who are
successful)
A lot of my own career
progression to date has
been down to luck
Disagree
Somewhat
disagree
Neither agree
or disagree
Somewhat
agree
Agree
Strongly
agree
Recruitment and retention
We would like to understand how you would respond in a hypothetical situation concerning
a job opportunity. For the purposes of the following questions, please imagine that you are
actively seeking employment and have found a job opportunity that appeals to you.
The vacancy is in a location, institution and department that you want to work in (this could
be your current institution). The salary, level and focus of the job make it desirable to you.
You read the job description in more detail to see whether you can apply.
* 67. The job description lists 10 ESSENTIAL CRITERIA for the role.
What is the minimum number of essential criteria that you would have to possess before you felt
comfortable applying for the job?
Recruitment and retention
The job description lists 10 DESIRABLE CRITERIA for the role.
68. Given that you possess {{ Q67 }} of the essential criteria. what is the minimum number of
DESIRABLE criteria you would have to possess before you felt comfortable applying for the job?
SECTION 6: Training and leadership
We are interested in the training opportunities available to STEMM academics, and
whether these differ by gender.
69. Please indicate which, if any, of the following you have received training in.Tick as many as apply.
Administrative tasks related to management (e.g. conducting appraisal)
Postgraduate supervision
Leadership (e.g. preparation for senior managerial appointments)
Professional development
Grant application skills
Teaching (e.g. the PGCAP)
Project/planning/financial management skills
Equality and diversity training for dealing with students
Equality and diversity training for dealing with staff
Unconscious bias training
None of the above
Training and leadership
70. In the last 12 months, do you feel that any of the following have been a barrier to you accessing
training that you need or want? (Please tick all that apply.)
Time pressure
Cost of training
Not being eligible
My age
My disability status
Training not offered by my institution
Training seen as not being relevant to my position
My parenting / caring responsibilities
My sexual orientation
My ethnicity
My religion or belief
My pregnancy
My gender identity
My marital / civil partnership status
My accent or language skills
My dress or appearance
My legal sex
My line manager being obstructive or unhelpful
None of the above
Other (please provide detail)
71. If you indicated that any of the above were a barrier to obtaining training, please take a moment to
explain why or how below.
Section 7: Promotion and Development
72. Throughout your academic career to date, have you ever been encouraged or invited to apply for a
promotion, or for a post at a higher grade?
Yes
No
73. Please indicate to what extent you agree or disagree with the following statements, relating to life in
your department:
Strongly
disagree
I am encouraged to
undertake activities that
contribute to my career
development
I have a formally
assigned mentor who I
see regularly
I have the opportunity to
serve on important
departmental
committees
My research is valued
by my department
I don’t have enough
administrative
experience
The department values
my external professional
activities
Senior department staff
are inaccessible to me
I have an unsupportive
line manager
My appraisal is not
useful/valuable
I would like to obtain a
senior management
post in my institution
I expect to obtain a
senior management
post in my institution
Disagree
Somewhat
disagree
Neither
agree or
disagree
Somewhat
agree
Agree
Strongly
agree
N/A
SECTION 8: Future plans
74. Please indicate which of the following options best describes your desires for your future career.
I want to continue a career in STEMM inside Higher Education
I want to continue a career in STEMM outside Higher Education
I do not want to continue a career in STEMM
75. If you would like to provide any further comments regarding gender equality in your department or
institution that have not been covered in this survey, or if you would like to elaborate on any of the answers
you gave, please do so below:
Section 9: Demographics and monitoring
Thank you for taking the time to complete ASSET 2016. This final section comprises
monitoring questions, which are asked to contextualise our data, and to ensure that our
results are as representative as possible.
* 76. In which country is your university located?
England
Northern Ireland
Scotland
Wales
Prefer not to say
Demographics and monitoring
77. Which best describes your ethnic group (options are listed alphabetically)?
Arab
Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi
Asian or Asian British – Indian
Asian or Asian British – Pakistani
Other Asian background
Black or Black British – African
Black or Black British – Caribbean
Other Black background
Chinese
Gypsy or Traveller
Mixed - White and Asian
Mixed - White and Black African
Mixed – White and Black Caribbean
Other mixed background
White
Other ethnic background
Prefer not to say
Demographics and monitoring
78. Which best describes your ethnic group (options are listed alphabetically)?
Arab
Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi
Asian or Asian British – Indian
Asian or Asian British – Pakistani
Other Asian background
Black or Black British - African
Black or Black British – Caribbean
Other Black background
Chinese
Gypsy or Traveller
Mixed - White and Asian
Mixed - White and Black African
Mixed – White and Black Caribbean
Other mixed background
White – Scottish
Other White background
Other ethnic background
Prefer not to say
Demographics and monitoring
79. Which best describes your ethnic group (options are listed alphabetically)?
Arab
Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi
Asian or Asian British – Indian
Asian or Asian British – Pakistani
Other Asian background
Black or Black British - African
Black or Black British – Caribbean
Other Black background
Chinese
Gypsy or Traveller
Irish Traveller
Mixed - White and Asian
Mixed - White and Black African
Mixed – White and Black Caribbean
Other mixed background
White
Other ethnic background
Prefer not to say
Demographics and monitoring
80. How old are you (in years)?
Under 20
46-50
20-25
51-55
25-30
56-60
31-35
61-65
36-40
Over 65
41-45
Prefer not to say
Demographics and monitoring
81. Which of the following best describes your sexual orientation?
Bisexual
Gay man
Gay woman/lesbian
Heterosexual/straight
Prefer not to say
If you use your own term, please put it here
82. Which of the following best describes your religion or beliefs (options are listed alphabetically)?
No religion (including agnostic and atheist)
Buddhist
Christian
Hindu
Jewish
Muslim
Sikh
Spiritual (a belief in the spiritual dimension of all life, which can be experienced directly and without the assistance of conventional
religion)
Prefer not to say
If you use another term, please put it here:
83. Do you have any of the following impairments or conditions? Tick all that apply, or select "none of the
above".
A specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or AD(H)D
A general learning disability (such as Down's syndrome)
A social/communication impairment such as Asperger's syndrome/other autistic spectrum disorder
A long standing illness or long term health condition such as cancer, HIV, diabetes, chronic heart disease, or epilepsy
A mental health condition, such as depression, schizophrenia or anxiety disorder
A physical impairment or mobility issues, such as difficulty using arms or using a wheelchair or crutches
Deafness or a serious hearing impairment
Blindness or a serious visual impairment uncorrected by glasses
A disability, impairment or long term health condition that is not listed above
None of the above
84. If you have indicated that you have a disability, impairment or long term health condition, have you ever
disclosed this to your current employer?
Yes
No
Prefer not to say
85. Do you require reasonable adjustments to be made to your working environment as a consequence of
a disability, impairment or long term health condition?
Yes
No
Prefer not to say
Demographics and Monitoring
86. Where were you born?
In the UK
Outside the UK , but in the European Economic Area (EEA)
Outside the EEA
Prefer not to say
The European Economic Area (EEA) consists of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
87. If you indicated that you were not born in the UK above, please let us know how long you have lived in
the UK.
Less than 1 year
1 to 5 years
6 to 10 years
More than 10 years
Prefer not to say
88. Which best describes your current marital or partnership status?
Single and never married or never in a civil partnership
Married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting
Separated, divorced or widowed
Prefer not to say
If you use another term, please write it here:
89. We are interested in learning more about the experiences and perceptions of dual-career couples
working in STEMM related areas.
If you indicated that you have a partner in the previous question, please tell us whether they work in a
STEMM related area (either in academia or in another sector).
Yes, in STEMM in academia
Yes, in STEMM in other sector
No
Prefer not to say
Thank you
Thank you for completing this survey. The Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, Royal Society of Biology, the Academy of
Medical Sciences and Equality Challenge Unit are grateful for your contribution.
We aim to be producing publications from the ASSET data in the early months of 2017. We will be contacting your institution to update
them on progress with our publications. If you have any further queries about ASSET 2016 or the survey itself, please contact Jamie
Lawson, on [email protected] / 020 7438 1010
Visit our website: www.ecu.ac.uk
Follow us on Twitter: @EqualityinHE
Sign up to our newsletter: www.ecu.ac.uk/news/equalitylink
Thank you
Thank you for your interest in taking part in ASSET 2016.
In order to take part in the survey, it is necessary that participants give consent and be employed on academic contracts within
STEMM subjects. You have reached this page because you have signalled either that you do not consent, or that you are not a STEMM
academic.
If you have selected options on the previous page in error, please navigate back by pressing the button below. If not, then please click
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Thank you again for taking the time to engage with ASSET 2016.