С����Ƶ

The British Science Association’s (BSA) popular Smashing Stereotypes campaign is returning for this year’s British Science Week – highlighting diverse people and careers in science, technology, engineering, and maths – with the aim of inspiring the next generation. 

Now in its sixth year, Smashing Stereotypes runs throughout (7 - 16 March 2025). It celebrates trailblazers in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) sectors, who share stories about their career journeys and day-to-day working lives.

The 2025 campaign features stories from some remarkable people who challenge long-standing stereotypes about what it means to work in science, including Dr Nicolas Bonne, a visually impaired astronomer at the С����Ƶ. 

The 42-year-old scientist was born 3 months premature and the oxygen that kept him alive also damaged his eyes. Growing up in his native Australia, he found some aspects of studying astronomy were made more difficult because of this, which is why he wants to make the subject less reliant on using traditional visual models.

Dr Bonne leads the Tactile Universe project, developing multi-sensory resources that make astronomy more accessible for people who are blind or visually impaired. This includes materials that you can touch or listen to, so that access isn't purely visual.   

Last year, the project was shortlisted for a Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) in recognition of its groundbreaking work to make astronomy more accessible to children with a visual impairment.

Dr Bonne, who is a Public Engagement and Outreach Fellow in the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation at the С����Ƶ, said: “I’m so humbled to have been selected as one of the scientist’s featuring in this year’s Smashing Stereotypes campaign. I honestly believe that science can be more accessible, but that we all need to work towards that goal.  There are so many fresh perspectives that people from diverse backgrounds can bring to their fields of study.”

From astronomy to climate science and motorsport to artificial intelligence, STEM careers are truly diverse. The BSA wants to champion science for everyone: whatever your interests, background, or career path.  

As well as showcasing inspiring role models, another aim of the Smashing Stereotypes campaign is to highlight the issue of demographic inequity in the STEM workforce. 

• 27 per cent of the STEM workforce are women, compared to 52 per cent of the wider workforce
• 11 per cent of STEM workers have a disability compared to 14 per cent of the wider workforce
• This ‘double underrepresentation’ means that just 4 per cent of the STEM workforce are disabled women, compared to 8 per cent of the wider workforce 
   

While the percentage of the STEM workforce from ethnic minorities is similar to the wider UK workforce (12 per cent), amalgamating minority groups skews the data, so that it appears more ethnically diverse than it is.

Greater representation of workers of Indian ethnicity in the STEM workforce masks the underrepresentation of Black workers, specifically Black women and Black-African men. The relative diversity of the health sector also contributes to this when compared to less diverse sectors, such as engineering. 

Hannah Russell, Chief Executive of the British Science Association, said: “There are almost ten million (9.4m) people working in STEM industries, and we use British Science Week to celebrate the UK’s science, research and innovation workforce. 

“The story of underrepresentation in these fields is well known, but it does not make the figures any less stark. By showcasing fantastically inspiring stories of people working in science who come from backgrounds that are underrepresented in our sector, we hope to show that science can be for everyone. 

“This year we are calling on STEM businesses and institutions to celebrate and highlight the diversity within their workforce, and to share how they are working towards a more diverse and inclusive sector. We want to reach young people across the UK and inspire more of them to consider a future in science, research and innovation because they can see people who might look like them represented in that workforce.” 

Each Smashing Stereotypes story includes short films, written interviews, and photography, with content shared across the BSA’s website and social media channels, focusing on Tik Tok and Instagram, throughout British Science Week. 

The BSA is also inviting individuals and organisations to get involved and create their own social media content and tag #SmashingStereotypes #BSW25. 

With profiles of chefs, product designers, and fitness professionals, the campaign demonstrates that science is for everyone: whatever their interests, background, or career path.