NDPH - Part Time DPhil
Professor Sir Rory Collins, Head of Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH) has been a champion of Athena Swan since NDPH first started on their Athena Swan journey, he said:
‘The Athena SWAN Charter provides a framework to make sure that we are doing everything we can to enable all colleagues to make the most of their talents; it encourages us to address barriers to progression that affect women, to work towards gender equality, and to create an inclusive working, learning and social environment in which diversity is valued and the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected.
‘Many people have commitments and responsibilities beyond their work but this shouldn’t mean that they are disadvantaged in terms of their career progression. We want everyone to be able to make the most of their gifts and have introduced various initiatives to help make this happen – from part-time DPhils to pump-priming grants, and flexible working patterns. As a department we benefit from the learning, imagination and energy of people who might not be able to fulfil their potential without these sorts of initiatives – so it’s a win-win situation for everyone.
‘We were delighted to receive our Silver Award renewal in 2019 and it is fantastic to now be part of an all-Silver division. The Silver Awards demonstrate our commitment to providing a range of opportunities and support to staff and students whatever their background or circumstances. Building on these efforts, we are supporting activities that take into account the intersectionality of diversity to ensure an equitable working environment – but there is still more to be done and we will continue to look for new ideas to make our working lives even better.’
Part time DPhil
NDPH introduced the first part-time DPhil in Oxford University’s Medical Sciences Division (MSD), which is available to their staff (funded by NDPH) as well as to others, in order to help women and other people with caring responsibilities to further their careers alongside family life, or their existing role.
Read more on the part-time DPhil structure on the NDPH website
Since its introduction in 2015, 20 people are either currently on, or have completed, the part-time DPhil (15 female, 5 male).
‘The part-time DPhil is enabling me to work towards an important qualification for my future career without having to take time out of the workforce. I am simultaneously gaining experience in a job I enjoy while further specialising in statistical genomics and developing my independent research skills through the DPhil.’
Jennifer Collister, Statistical Programmer and part-time DPhil student, Oxford Population Health
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