Of the 575 chemistry professors in the UK, only one is black.
In the 15 years that Robert Mokaya has been a professor at Nottingham University, all of his applications for research funding have been rejected by Britain’s main chemistry funding body, now the UK Research and Innovation Agency.
“That’s not typical of a professor,” he tells me phlegmatically.
“I have published research that I would have expected would have enabled me to receive funding for follow-up research.
“I wonder if that’s typical of someone with my last name.
“It was very, very difficult,” he says.
Funding applications are reviewed and decided by colleagues whose names are not published but the name of the applicant is known to the reviewers.
Despite the constant rejection of grant applications, Robert has done very well. He is a well-known materials chemist specializing in the research of materials for sustainable energy storage and has authored numerous publications in scientific journals.
He was able to pursue his research because he was funded by charities and learned societies such as the Royal Society, which only funds those researchers who they believe have an excellent track record in their work.
Robert was also awarded an OBE for services to the chemical sciences this year and is a Trustee of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).
The RSC has published research showing that racism is “pervasive” in this area. The report notes that it is “difficult to combat” and that marginalization of minorities in universities and industry has been “normalised”.
The research also confirms Robert’s experience that ethnic minority researchers are less likely to receive grants and promotions, and are paid significantly less. In 2019/20 the average grant for an ethnic minority researcher in chemistry was £320,000 compared to £355,000 for white colleagues.
The managing director of the RSC, Dr. Helen Pain described the stories of discrimination she saw as part of the investigation as “shocking”.
“Racism is unfortunately a reality in the chemical sciences, as well as in society at large,” she told BBC News.
“We have to do better. We have to make a difference.
In response to the report, Prof Melanie Welham, UKRI’s Executive Champion for People, Culture and Talent, told BBC News that the agency was reviewing its processes to address concerns about unequal treatment.
“We know we have to do more and we are committed to doing it.”
“This includes piloting and learning how to embed effective equality, diversity and inclusion practices into our peer review and assessment practices, such as through double-blind review, and allowing applicants to demonstrate their contributions in more diverse ways.
The RSC report also shows that ethnic minority students are interested in studying chemistry at university, but are put off by what they feel is an unwelcome atmosphere of academic research. This is especially true for black students and researchers.
Official figures show that at undergraduate level 4.9% of undergraduate students studying chemistry-related subjects identify as black, significantly more than the national 3.0% of the UK population. But most choose not to get involved in research. Those falling down the career ladder: 1.4% of postgraduate chemistry researchers identify as Black, 1% of faculty and 0% of professors.
“I don’t exist!” laughs Robert.
There are no black professors in the official statistics because the number 1 is rounded to zero for accounting purposes. However, Robert’s good humor fades as he tells me about his journey to becoming Britain’s only black chemistry professor. He says, “It was a struggle.”
“In science, you have to get signals from more experienced colleagues that it’s time to apply for a higher position. Early in my career, I was getting signals that this wasn’t the place for you. Time for you.
“That was the most difficult part of my career and here lies the main block for black chemists. Once I asserted myself and was connected, things got better.”
Sandile Mtetwa is a black PhD student at Cambridge University. She co-founded a group for African students studying science subjects. She says many of them chose not to fight their way through. Instead, they chose to take jobs in the private sector because they felt there was “prejudice” and that they would not be supported if they went into academic research.
“The chemical science community is so network-driven. You have to know someone to get ahead,” she tells me.
“Someone senior needs to support you, help you get a job, get a scholarship. If someone up there isn’t cheering you on, there’s not much you can do about it.”
The RSC report states that there is little incentive for chemical organizations to improve. Most initiatives are voluntary and seem to have limited impact, they say.
It notes that only 21 of the 93 universities that entered for the award receive a bronze racial equality charter, which is awarded by higher education charity advance HE. None have received a silver or gold award, despite the program being launched in 2016. Likewise, 37% of FTSE 100 companies have no ethnic minority representation on their boards, although an independent review also in 2016 set a target of having one director from an ethnic minority on every board by 2021.
The RSC has created a Race and Ethnicity Unit to push for organizational change. It has also set up a five-year mentoring program to help school leavers pursue chemistry degrees and works with employers to provide employment opportunities for ethnic minority students and help them advance their careers.
Robert Mokaya hopes these initiatives will bring about change for the next generation of ethnic minority chemistry scientists.
“I worry about those who come through the system.
“I don’t think it’s fair that those who reach senior positions in the chemical sciences have to go through what I went through.”
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