Membership Diversity Survey
As a scientific society whose aim is to promote physics and bring physicists together, the IOP needs to ensure that it is representative of the whole population of physicists.
From a diversity and inclusion perspective, this means that the Institute should aim to be fully inclusive and to act, and to be seen to act, as a place where all members or potential members can participate fully in its activities.
In 2011 the IOP undertook a survey of its UK membership to understand their diversity profile and compare this with population of the UK and those who work in science.
Summary of results:
- All UK-based IOP members were asked to complete a short online diversity survey covering Age; Gender; Ethnicity; Disability; Religion/Belief
- The response rate was 23%
- 73% of respondents were male and 26% were female
- Almost half (46%) of survey respondents were under 30. The age profiles were similar to the IOP’s UK membership profile as a whole
- The majority of respondents were “White” (87%) with the next largest group being Asian, Asian British or Asian Irish (6%)
- Compared to the UK national profile and with the populations of those working in SET, there was more ethnic diversity amongst our survey respondents
- Almost 6% of respondents declared that they had a disability, lower than estimates of those in the populations of those of working age, those in employment and those employed in SET
- Almost 54% of respondents reported that they had ‘no religion or belief’