The award was conferred in January 2026 and is valid until January 2031.
This achievement marks a significant milestone for the Institute. IoN is the first Institute within the UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences to receive an Athena SWAN Gold Award and is currently one of seven departments across UCL to hold this distinction.
“This Gold Athena Swan Award is a testament to the power of collective effort and to placing a positive working culture at the heart of IoN and FBS priorities” – Prof Hélène Plun-Favreau on behalf of the IoN EDI Committee
The Athena Swan Charter is a global framework that recognises and supports higher education institutions in transforming gender equality, with a focus on career progression, representation, and culture. This Gold Award recognises long‑term, evidence‑based progress and reflects the Institute’s role as a beacon of good practice, sharing learning and driving change beyond the department.
Athena SWAN at IoN – our journey
Building an equitable and inclusive community is a long journey that requires strategy and commitment from all levels of an organisation. The IoN received its first Bronze Award on 2013, followed by an upgrade to Silver in 2015. In December 2019, we submitted an application for the renewal of our Silver award, which was successfully granted in the summer of 2020. In 2025 we renewed our commitment to the Transformed Athena Swan principles and applied for a Gold Athena Swan award which we received in 2026.
Building on more than a decade of Athena SWAN work, the Institute’s 2026–2031 Gold Action Plan will focus on intersectional equality, inclusive recruitment, workload fairness, safe and respectful culture, and sustained support for staff and students at all career stages.