Supporting women in clinical academia

In the letter to the Medical Schools and research institutes, dated 29 July 2011, the head of the National Institute for Health Research, Dame Sally Davies states that in the next run the competition for NIHR grants the NIHR will not shortlist any NHS/University partnership where the academic partner (generally the Medical School\Faculty of Medicine) has not achieved at least the Silver Award of the Athena SWAN Charter for Women in Science. The present funding period of five years that we are about to enter gives both those who are funded, and those who are potential entrants next time four years to demonstrate this level of commitment to women in science.