THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY IS IRELAND'S LEADING BODY OF EXPERTS IN THE SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

The Royal Irish Academy/Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann champions research. We identify and recognise Ireland’s world class researchers. We support scholarship and promote awareness of how science and the humanities enrich our lives and benefit society. We believe that good research needs to be promoted, sustained and communicated. The Academy is run by a Council of its members. Membership is by election and considered the highest academic honour in Ireland.

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Diversity Review for Royal Irish Academy

16 May 2021

The RIA has established an independent diversity review of its membership process to be chaired by Professor Lesley Yellowlees.

Professor Yellowlees is a pioneer in the field of solar energy research and a passionate champion for diversity in science. She was Vice-principal of the University of Edinburgh and was the first female President of the Royal Society of Chemistry 2012-14.

Dr Mary Canning, President of the Royal Irish Academy said ‘Diversity is an issue of central importance to the Academy and I am committed to strengthening the diversity of its membership.’

RIA Vice-President Professor Anita Maguire said that ‘an internationally renowned four-person panel will review the existing processes and criteria for the identification and election of new Members to the Academy, identify barriers to increasing diversity and make recommendations to foster greater diversity in future elections of new members’.

The review panel will consider how the Academy assesses academic excellence as the core qualification for membership of the Academy, taking into account international best practice in the understanding and measurement of excellence. Currently one-fifth of Academy Members are female.

The review will be published in December 2021.

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