Science is neutral and fosters cooperations of scientists from all over the world. Only how good our research is counts and not where we come from. We don’t have problems with Equity and Diversity or do we?

Unfortunately the answer is clear: Yes, we do. Also in academia certain groups, like people with disabilities, from non-academic backgrounds, women, mothers or single fathers, queer people or people of colour, …, are extremely underrepresented, also in the TRR360. Although we know that we are far from being an academic society with equal chances for everyone, we as the TRR360 want to do our part by walking into the right direction. We try to find ways to achieve a more diverse research team inside our project. We educate ourselves in this regard, giving us the chance to prevent stereotypical thinking and to learn about the value of a research made by everyone.

The largest of these groups, which has also been given the most attention in the last years, are women. Since the field of physics is generally very short of women, supporting the women inside the TRR360 as well as trying to encourage and hire competent female researchers on all levels is an important stone in our equity and diversity house. Once young female scientists are part of the TRR360, special training is provided to help them with their career. There is also an awareness of the needs and difficulties of working fathers and mothers. The offer for child-care in TRR events, avoiding afternoon meetings and a kidsbox with toys to bridge times where one must bring a young child to work are all small measures to help parents through the first, most difficult years. The attendance of networking events, not just for  women and parents, but for anyone part of an underrepresented group is supported by the TRR360.

But there is more we can do. The key is to learn about the barriers and struggles that the different discriminated groups experience and derive actions that we can do to lower or remove them. This is an on-going learning process that we are committed to.