The Centre has taken various steps to ensure we’re creating a culture that allows everyone to thrive.
We understand that building diverse teams within STEM needs more than fair and equitable recruitment practices. To retain talent, we need to be providing ongoing support with various initiatives, policies and procedures.
By leveraging these, we hope anyone who joins the Centre feels reognised and heard.
InSTEM Conference
InSTEM is an initiative organised by a collection of ARC Centres of Excellence. It’s a networking and career development event for people from marginalised or underrepresented groups in STEM as well as their leaders and allies.
InSTEM aims to provide attendees with an opportunity to develop their identity as a researcher, whilst also creating a community and promoting a sense of belonging among likeminded individuals.
Many topics covered in the event discuss how to create change that improves access, how we can support retention, and how can we further champion the success STEM individuals from marginalised or underrepresented groups.
The conference runs every other year and TMOS gets involved however they can!
I was excited and nervous at the thought of attending inSTEM but I met so many generous, kind and helpful people. Everyone was different but there were so much we could learn from one another. I had a wonderful time chatting and sharing our experiences! The connections and memories will be with me for the rest of my life.
Fahia Tarannum Munna - PhD Candidate (2025)
Professional Development
The Centre provides members the opportunity to engage in a range of IDEA workshops and training throughout the year. This proactive approach ensures that our members are exposed to diverse programs and projects, contributing to a comprehensive and well-rounded education in the realm of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA).
Centre-wide Training
From the inception of the Centre, we’ve been dedicated to fostering a robust understanding of IDEA principles. Over the course of the four years since our Centre’s establishment, we have engaged with online education and training platforms (Symmetra and TalentLMS). During this time, many Centre members have successfully completed a total of 16 modules, reflecting everyone’s steadfast commitment to continuous learning and growth in this critical area.
More recently, we have opted for a more flexible approach. Offering a mixture of in-person and online training across a range of topics. We recognise that everyone starts their IDEA journey at a different place, and as our membership changes, we need to provide development that reflect the different needs of the Centre.
Leadership Training
Our Centre leaders and managers play a huge part in the success and over experience of students and ECRs at TMOS.
This is why, on top of the ongoing Centre-wide training, we organise additional leadership training, previous workshops have covered “Unconscious Bias”, “Leading with Inclusivity”, “Cultivating Empathy” and “Psychological Safety”. The training provided is often inspired by the feedback we hear in our Culture Survey’s and Feedback Form.