Athena Swan Award

University of Galway has achieved a renewed Bronze Athena SWAN Award, in recognition of the University’s continued progress on gender equality. The renewal of the award based on University of Galway's 2021 Athena Swan Application highlighted a range of initiatives being taken at the University since 2016/17, including improvement in the representation of women in senior academic roles.

The proportion of female staff holding the role of Senior Lecturer at University of Galway increased from 33% in 2016/17 to 47% in 2020/21.  Over the same period, the proportion of female staff holding the role of Personal Professor in the University increased from 16% to 28%.

Bronze award status has also been granted to five of University of Galway’s Schools in the latest award round, taking the total of school awards to eight. The School of Medicine secured a renewal of a Bronze Athena SWAN Award. It has seen significant progression in women in senior academic grades, including women in Senior Lecturer roles going from 38% in 2016/17 to 50% in 2020/21; and women in Personal Professor roles increasing from 8% in 2016/17 to 28% in 2020/21.

The other Bronze Awards went to first-time applicants - the Schools of Natural Sciences; Psychology; Chemistry; and Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics.  University of Galway’s School of Nursing & Midwifery secured a Bronze Award in April 2021. The School of Physics and the School of Business secured Bronze Awards in 2020.

As stated by the President of University of Galway, "  I am delighted that University of Galway has renewed its Bronze Award status, as a clear appreciation of the University’s commitment to advancing equality to all our staff and students in line with our values of openness and respect".