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The paper titled “The achievement of gender parity in a large astrophysics research centre”, was led by former ASTRO 3D Directors Lisa Kewley and Stuart Wyithe, who is now director of the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, as well as ASTRO 3D Chief Operating Officer Ingrid McCarthy.

“We used research in sociology and psychology to develop evidence-based strategies, and to create a supportive and positive culture in our Centre,” says Professor Lisa Kewley, the founding director of ASTRO 3D, the Australian Research Council Centre for All Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions, and the lead author on the paper. Professor Kewley now leads the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian.

“Our success offers a model to other organisations, especially in the physical sciences where participation rates for women continue to be well behind the biological sciences, and where gender equality has remained stubbornly low,” says Professor Emma Ryan-Weber, the current Director of ASTRO 3D.

Having diverse leadership, training in unconscious bias, 50% women on interview panels, and a shortlist of candidates of at least 50% women has led to 50% women in the Centre membership. The trickle-down effect of having women leading projects has meant that women are more likely to want to do research in those teams. As the whole Centre has grown, the percentage of women have grown too.

For more information, including media releases and link to the paper, please click here.