Briefing on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategies in STEM makes business case for growth

New research published by the British Science Association on behalf of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM explores the most effective approaches to progressing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and improving representation in the science and technology workforce. 

The APPG’s briefing, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) strategies in STEM (published on Monday 7 April 2025), is based on a series of interviews with EDI leads and Human Resources departments at 14 STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) organisations. 

The briefing gives an overview of the current lack of diversity in the STEM workforce, skills shortages, and the potential impact this will have in future, then summarises the main findings from the research and identifies areas where action is needed. 

Interviews with sector EDI and Human Resources leads from STEM organisations and universities focus on three key areas: leadership; data about diversity characteristics; and benchmarking and impact.  

In the current challenging climate for introducing or developing EDI strategies, it is vital that evidence on the benefits to all – employees, employers, and wider society – continues to be heard, and discussion on challenges and plans to overcome these are had. 

The briefing aims to shed light on some of the challenges that STEM organisations face when developing and formalising their approaches to EDI. It also recommends steps and suggests actions that would support organisations in progressing their EDI strategies, attracting diverse talent and becoming more inclusive workplaces.   

The briefing highlights four key areas which require action: 

There is a need to make a stronger case for EDI as central to growth and performance for organisations: EDI is linked to stronger commercial performance, improved talent attraction and retention, better customer engagement, increased investment, and reduced costs associated with legal disputes. Evidence shows that diverse teams are more innovative, produce higher-impact work, and are better at tackling complex problems, which is crucial for the STEM sector.   

Data accessibility should be improved: There is high-level data on a national level, but it is not granular or accessible enough to support decision-making. STEM organisations are struggling with intersectional analysis of data, and declaration rates, particularly relating to disability and socioeconomic status.  

Evaluating the impact of EDI interventions can be difficult: There is plenty of evidence to inform where EDI interventions are needed, but it is rare that interventions are accompanied by outcome evaluations, particularly when concerned with workplace culture and retention. This is limiting the ability of the STEM sector to take evidence-driven approaches and learn from what is working. 

There needs to be better understanding of the challenges for start-ups, spin-outs, and scale-ups: Start-ups and scale-ups are important for the UK’s STEM ecosystem, but they have very different needs to large STEM companies. 

The briefing makes a series of recommendations, including: 

  1. Calling upon all STEM leaders to recognise the essential role that a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture plays in business growth and performance. 

  1. Recommending the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) and the Women and Equalities Unit identify practical, immediate steps that can drive progress within UK STEM organisations. 

  1. Further investment in data-dashboards to extend demographic data beyond gender, and provide user-guides to STEM industries.  

  1. Recommending that organisations carry out an equity impact assessment for key changes in the organisation. 

  1. Recommending that DSIT collaborate with sector partners from the corporate sector, higher education, and key agencies to support the industry by fostering a financially sustainable ecosystem of diverse, purposeful EDI frameworks in STEM. 

  1. Recommending a sector-wide engagement scheme on diversity and inclusion for start-ups, spin-outs and scale-ups. 

  1. Calling upon large STEM organisations with the resources to develop EDI toolkits and training programmes to proactively share these with smaller organisations.   

 

The APPG on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM was established in 2018 and is chaired by Samantha Niblett MP. The Group 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 UK population. It also wants to consider and influence changes in policy that will lead to this outcome.   

As Secretariat for the APPG, the British Science Association co-ordinated the research project, distributed the briefing to APPG members and other stakeholders, and has published it on the BSA website.  

Manage Cookie Preferences