All-Party Parliamentary Group on Diversity & Inclusion in STEM

About the Group

Following the dissolution of Parliament for the 4 July 2024 general election, this APPG no longer exists.

The Secretariat hopes the Group can be re-established after the general election, and plans to resume activities in the new Parliament.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) in STEM aims to promote the inclusion and progression of people from diverse backgrounds in STEM, and to encourage government, parliamentarians, academics, businesses and other stakeholders to work towards a STEM sector that is representative of the population. We also want to consider and influence changes in policy that will lead to this outcome. For more updates, follow us on Twitter.

As part of its work on equality, diversity and inclusion across the science and science engagement sectors, the British Science Association (BSA) acts as secretariat for the Group. The Group is made up of Members of Parliament and Lords, and is a focus for collaboration with businesses and other organisations in STEM.

Details of previous meetings of the APPG can be found here.

Sponsors

                  Science Council logo


To enquire about sponsoring the APPG, contact Agasty Baylon Yogaratnam.

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Members (2019-2024 parliament)

The Officers and Members of the APPG are listed below. All Officers were elected at the APPG's AGM on 21 May 2024.


Photos taken from the Parliament Website under an Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) licence. Photo of Lord Willetts taken by Duncan Hull under an Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) licence.


This is not an official website of the House of Commons or the House of Lords. It has not been approved by either house or its committees.

All-Party Parliamentary Groups are informal groups of members of both houses with a common interest in particular issues. The views expressed in these webpages are those of the group.

Photo credit: Maurice

Roundtables

In January 2022, the APPG on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM ran four online roundtable discussions titled ‘Inequity in the STEM workforce: Could an Employers’ Coalition for STEM Diversity drive systemic change in the sector?’. These discussions were attended by 35 key leaders and practitioners from across the STEM sector to scope industry opinion on the potential value a ten-year employer coalition could bring.

The exploration of an Employer’s Coalition for STEM Diversity came from the first recommendation of the APPG’s Equity in the STEM workforce inquiry, published July 2021. The inquiry found that inequity in the STEM workforce is historic and systemic, but the sector lacks a unifying force to enact structural and equitable change.

Read the overview of key points and concerns

Potential next steps

The roundtables created a rich starting point for scoping this work, and the overall consensus was that a coalition would be of value to the sector, but further research is needed. Potential suggested next steps include:

  • Sector mapping. A comprehensive mapping exercise needs to be carried out in order to identify gaps, best/worst practice and avoid duplication from the start. This exercise would aim to explore: Strands, Members, Excluded voices, Duplication, and SMEs
  • Feasibility study. In-depth research needs to be conducted into the feasibility of a coalition, from a structural, financial and capacity perspective. A study could model potential organisational formats and collate advice and learnings from similar organisations. This exercise would aim to explore: Objectives, Time frame and measurements, and Structure

The APPG Secretariat would like to open up the discussion to determine the best organisation(s) to take responsibility for the coalition.