The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) has released a refreshed Inclusion and Diversity Strategy to 2030, signaling a move away from one-off initiatives toward a permanent shift in how the chemical sciences operate. Building on the foundation of its 2020 framework, the RSC is now positioning inclusion as the "organizing principle" for the next decade of its work.
The updated strategy focuses on the practicalities of how chemistry is taught, practiced, and rewarded. For those in leadership roles, it offers a roadmap for moving from simple headcounts to creating environments where researchers can actually stick around and do their best work.
Breaking down structural barriers
The 2030 strategy is grounded in evidence and lived experience, using an intersectional approach to address disparities in gender, disability, socioeconomic status, race, and LGBT+ representation.
“Our new strategy has been developed through extensive engagement with the chemical sciences community,” said Jo Reynolds, PhD, RSC Director of Global Impact. “It sets out how we will move from individual initiatives to systemic and sustainable inclusion, recognizing that representation alone is not enough if people do not feel valued, supported, and able to thrive.”
Professor Paul Walton of the University of York, a 2025 RSC I&D Prize winner, pointed out that these disparities aren't just personal—they are structural. “We know that institutional inequality contributes to talent attrition across academia,” Walton stated. “In chemistry, we see these disparities manifesting themselves as structural barriers to advancement for underrepresented groups. In this context, this strategy is significant for its focus on systemic inclusion informed by data, lived experience, and cultural shifts.”
Accessibility and innovation
The RSC’s vision assumes that an inclusive lab environment leads to better science. By removing physical and communicative barriers, labs can tap into a wider pool of problem-solvers.
“True inclusion in chemistry means ensuring that scientific knowledge is accessible to everyone—including Deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent people,” said Audrey Cameron, PhD, OBE, HonFRSC, Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Edinburgh. “Diverse experiences and perspectives strengthen science and drive innovation. When we remove barriers ... we do not just include more people, we enrich the entire scientific community.”
Alex Palmer, PhD, of King’s College London, added that the stakes are high for the next generation of scientists. “Incredible talent, knowledge, and skill [are] lost due to systemic inequity. We need to work collectively as a scientific community to make our spaces inclusive, and that's what this strategy embeds in chemistry teaching and practice.”
A global mandate for leadership
The RSC plans to use its influence with industry, funders, and regulators to drive these changes internationally. The goal is to align scientific excellence with accessibility, ensuring that the global chemical science community can effectively tackle major issues like health and sustainability.
“Our role is to lead with integrity, remove systemic barriers and work collaboratively across the chemical sciences,” said Elise Cartmell, PhD, Chair of the RSC Inclusion and Diversity Committee. “By aligning our scientific purpose with our values, we can ensure that chemistry is not only excellent, but accessible, equitable, and impactful for all who choose to be part of it.”
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Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu, PhD, of the University of Cambridge, noted that the biggest questions in science require the broadest possible range of experts. “Questions on which new medicines to create, which new technologies to develop and exploit, and which specific chemical sciences problems to solve are best addressed by involving experts from across the complete spectrum that makes up our global populations.”
Why this matters for lab managers
This strategy isn't just a document about social values; it’s a tool for talent retention and operational efficiency. Losing a mid-career researcher or a promising PhD student due to a lack of support is a significant loss of institutional knowledge and a hit to the lab's budget.
The RSC strategy provides a data-led framework that helps managers identify "critical transition points" where talent is most likely to drop out of the pipeline. By applying these insights, managers can make better decisions regarding recruitment, mentorship, and lab culture, ultimately reducing attrition and ensuring their teams remain competitive.
This article was created with the assistance of Generative AI and has undergone editorial review before publishing.
