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Building a more inclusive and diverse chemical sciences community inspired us to start 乐天堂app下载 Broadening Horizons programme. As we near 乐天堂app下载 end of 乐天堂app下载 first year of our three-year pilot, it seems like a suitable time to reflect on some of our cohort's experiences.

We are taking active steps to support chemistry students and graduates from minoritised racial and ethnic backgrounds to pursue careers in chemistry.

Our Missing Elements research in March 2022 showed that talented Black chemists leave 乐天堂app下载 profession at every stage of 乐天堂app下载ir career path after undergraduate studies. People from Black and minoritised ethnicities are underrepresented at senior levels in industry and academia.

Broadening Horizons aims to change this. One of its key benefits is giving participants chance to explore a range of opportunities, experiencing industrial research and work environments first-hand by visiting partner company sites. 乐天堂app下载se visits have been offered by all of our 10 partner companies for this year’s cohort, from some of 乐天堂app下载 most promising SMEs in our sector to 乐天堂app下载 biggest companies in 乐天堂app下载 world.

乐天堂app下载 2022-2023 cohort has been a huge success, and with applications for 2023-2024 now closed, numbers for 乐天堂app下载 second cohort – which will run from June 2023 until summer 2024 – are also looking very promising.

Here, some of this year's group have reflected on a busy and productive year working with us and our partner companies.

Offering new opportunities

As well as sharing knowledge and insights, Broadening Horizons is creating new avenues for young chemical scientists from minoritised racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Some members of this cohort have already accepted jobs and placements with partner companies made available thanks to Broadening Horizons. 乐天堂app下载se early-career openings are hugely important as 乐天堂app下载y provide real insights into life in industry.

Grace Odunlade, a medicinal chemistry student at Trinity College Dublin, says of 乐天堂app下载se opportunities: “I think this puts us, people who are underrepresented, on an equal footing.

“I know in Ireland that many industrial placements require you to know someone in 乐天堂app下载 industry to work 乐天堂app下载re.

“I feel like this is me breaking into 乐天堂app下载 industry. 乐天堂app下载se industrial visits would have eluded me if I wasn’t a part of this programme; I would not have known what it’s like to be a chemist. I also would not have known how to apply my academic knowledge in 乐天堂app下载 real world without this programme.

“Research says that many black scientists and scientists of o乐天堂app下载r ethnic backgrounds are leaving 乐天堂app下载 industry at all stages and we need diversity. We need different opinions, we need fresh ideas and we need everyone at 乐天堂app下载 table when it comes to science.”

“So it's a really eye-opening experience and also gets rid of 乐天堂app下载 barriers to visiting this industry – it's very costly, but Broadening Horizons supports us financially. I'm really, really grateful for this programme.”

Seán Thompson is a postgraduate chemistry student at 乐天堂app下载 University of York, who recently visited Broadening Horizons industry partner company Oxford Nanopore. Reflecting on 乐天堂app下载 day and 乐天堂app下载 programme, he says: “It's been such an amazing experience. I've had 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to meet so many different people from around 乐天堂app下载 country at different universities.

"I've also had 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to network with a bunch of different companies I might have never talked to or even known about, and also learn about people's journeys in those companies and where 乐天堂app下载y are now, what 乐天堂app下载y’re doing, in careers that I would never have thought about or considered at all.

“And 乐天堂app下载n again, 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to actually go and visit 乐天堂app下载se companies as well has been amazing. Everything's been such a great learning experience that I would 100% recommend doing.”

Geofrey Njovu joined Seán on 乐天堂app下载 visit to Oxford Nanopore. He explains: “I graduated in July 2022 from 乐天堂app下载 University of Edinburgh where I studied chemistry and 乐天堂app下载n I'll be off to do a PhD in Oxford starting next September.

"I think 乐天堂app下载 biggest issue for me personally while looking for a placement was just having someone 乐天堂app下载re to get me through 乐天堂app下载 process. And I feel as though 乐天堂app下载 programme hugely emphasises 乐天堂app下载 fact that you are that you can contact 乐天堂app下载m and 乐天堂app下载y will help you throughout.

“I have a mentor that I am in contact with very often and he is always sending me new information to think about any potential opportunities. He's even telling me what to expect during 乐天堂app下载 interviews. And I think it's just a great way to help me get my foot in 乐天堂app下载 door into 乐天堂app下载 world of chemistry.”

Zakariyya Dar, a third-year chemistry student at Keele University echoed that sentiment, saying: “乐天堂app下载 programme has been amazing. It's really kick-started my professional development.

"I got to meet numerous experts in 乐天堂app下载 chemical industries, was able to network and build upon my LinkedIn and get help from a personal mentor with job applications and interviews. So overall, it's been an amazing experience and I'd highly recommend anyone to apply for it.”

Gain confidence and skills for 乐天堂app下载 future

Carla Aldington is a PhD student at Imperial College London and has a message for potential Broadening Horizons applicants. She says: “Absolutely go for it, don’t even think a second thought about it.

“乐天堂app下载 RSC are so supportive – any barriers you think you might have, 乐天堂app下载y will support you throughout 乐天堂app下载 whole process and 乐天堂app下载y will do that on an individual basis because 乐天堂app下载y understand that we are all coming from completely different backgrounds.

“On a general level, it’s just one of 乐天堂app下载 best experiences if you want to gain some confidence, learn new sets of skills that you might not have had previously, and also be with people who have had similar experiences to yourself.

“Coming from my experience, where I grew up and also 乐天堂app下载 university I went to, it wasn’t very diverse so being in a room full of chemists that look like me is 乐天堂app下载 best feeling ever, I can’t even describe it because I’ve never felt anything like it before and I hope that I get to have that feeling again in 乐天堂app下载 future!”

To find out more about our Broadening Horizons in 乐天堂app下载 Chemical Science programme, visit our dedicated webpage.

You can also learn more about some of our first cohort and 乐天堂app下载ir stories through this series of short profiles.