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Equality policies

The Institute of Cancer Research is committed to attracting, developing and retaining leading cancer researchers from around the world, resulting in a diverse workforce. The ICR offers an open and fully inclusive environment for staff and students to achieve their organisational and personal goals.

A group of students

The ICR welcomes applications from people with disabilities and aims to offer appropriate assistance to accommodate individual needs, taking all reasonable steps to ensure that both the application procedure and the employment responsibilities are organised and delivered to offer all employees the opportunity to participate fully.

Applicants are encouraged to disclose any specific disability at the time of application (via the ‘equal opportunities’ forms), and inform HR if anything further can be done to make the application and selection process as accessible as possible.

This helps the ICR to ensure that applicants’ specialist needs can be understood, and any obstacles minimised, throughout the application and admission process.

See facts and figures about how the ICR is structured into 8 research divisions, the different corporate services and the diversity of our staff and students.

Download factsheet

ICR equality initiatives

Our progress on equality issues reflects our pursuit of excellence in all that we do and means going beyond minimum expectations in a range of initiatives. This includes:

  • Charter membership of the Athena SWAN Charter for Women in Science:
    • Achievement of an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of the impact of our work to address the under-representation of women in science and academic medicine.
    • Women in leadership group for faculty and career development faculty.
  • Equality and Diversity activities supported and monitored through the Equality Steering Committee.
  • Support and adjustments for disabled students and staff.
  • As Stonewall Diversity Champions, we are working with our joint ICR and Royal Marsden Hospital LGBT staff network to review our policies and practices and ensure a fully inclusive workplace. In 2017, the ICR submitted to the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, and feedback will be used to continue to shape our policies and activities.
  • Network of trained wellbeing advisers.

Stonewall diversity champs logo whiteThese activities are taken forward through our equality excellence programme, which combines our equality initiatives and highlights how they support the scientific work of the ICR.

Our 2021 equality report outlines in detail the steps we are taking to promote equality, and eliminate any discriminatory practice within the ICR.

Our equal opportunities policy statement provides a platform for initiatives directed towards supporting the work of the ICR.