Athena Swan is an internationally recognised quality mark and award scheme, originally introduced to address the need for gender equality in higher education. The original Athena Swan charter launched in the Republic of Ireland in early 2015 and RCSI was awarded a Bronze Institutional Award in 2018. RCSI renewed its Bronze Award in August 2023, under Athena Swan’s new intersectional charter.

Since then, a number of Schools and Departments have also been awarded Bronze Status – the Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine was awarded in November 2019, while our School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences and Department of Physiology and Medical Physics were both awarded in March 2021. Most recently, the School of Nursing and Midwifery and the School of Physiotherapy received a joint Bronze Award in September 2022.