Promoting positive change in science with high profile inclusion initiatives

Inclusivity in science

At Springer Nature, our mission is to be part of progress – we believe that research progress depends on the inclusion of diverse perspectives and that the best research emerges when researchers from all backgrounds are empowered to contribute fully.

Understanding disparities and barriers in research publishing informs our approach toward building a globally inclusive landscape. But as one researcher in a Springer Nature report on inclusivity noted: “People are attending these courses, but it is not having an impact on people…it shouldn’t be a one-off activity. The conversation should keep on going.”

By exploring the attitudes of different groups, the report was able to illustrate that majority groups are sometimes less likely to see the challenges that underrepresented researchers experience.

This blog highlights recent partnerships from Springer Nature’s flagship brand, Nature, that champion diversity in science and aim to foster an environment of positive change.

Our partnerships

The Sony Women in Technology Award

With women comprising less than a third of technology roles in the global workforce, the Sony Women in Technology Award, a partnership between Sony and Nature, will recognize three outstanding early- to mid-career women researchers in STEM whose work is making a positive impact on society and the planet.

“Through this new award with Sony, we can provide a global platform to celebrate the work of emerging women researchers and engineers who may otherwise go unheralded,” said Magdalena Skipper, Editor-in-Chief of Nature. “Women who, through their work, are driving positive change for the planet and society need new opportunities to showcase their work and be awarded for it.”

Health equity program

A partnership between Nature and Takeda, a global biopharmaceutical, seeks to provide accessible information about the causes and consequences of health inequities, amplify the voices of those disproportionately impacted by health inequities, and inspire action for initiatives promoting global health equity. Takeda’s multi-channel program comprises editorial and video content, events, and the Inclusive Health Research Awards, celebrating those driving a more inclusive approach to health research.

“Takeda is exceptionally pleased to partner with Springer Nature…to have such a like-minded partner who brings their research, credibility, connections and strategic thinking to address one of the most critical issues of our time” – Linn Parish, Head of Health Equity Alliances and Partnerships at Takeda.

Inspiring Women in Science Awards

The Inspiring Women in Science Awards, a partnership between the Estée Lauder Companies and Nature, support the achievements of women in science, and all those who work to encourage girls and young women to engage with STEM subjects.

Delivering a keynote at an event to honor the 2023 recipients, Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General, Global Communications, United Nations [MT3] noted, “We need to communicate more and better – both about science itself and about the remarkable contributions that women bring in the field.”

Nature Africa

Recognizing that a lot of excellent research from Africa does not receive the coverage it deserves, Nature created Nature Africa, an online magazine dedicated to shedding light on some of these stories and bringing them to a wider, international audience.

Nature Africa is free to access thanks to the financial support of a consortium of partners: The University of Cape Town (UCT), University of Johannesburg, University of Pretoria, University of the Witwatersrand, Stellenbosch University, and University of KwaZulu-Natal. The magazine launched with a virtual event, “How can Africa empower young researchers to lead a new science renaissance in the continent?”.

Partnering with Nature

For nearly two centuries, Nature has helped shaped today’s research landscape. Partnering with us on key topics that support an inclusive research culture in STEM gives your organization a strong and credible platform to reach a wide global audience.  We can collaborate on projects including:

• Supported editorial content to demonstrate your organization’s commitment to a specific area of science or social responsibility.
• Custom content to promote your organization’s products and achievements.
• Awards to celebrate the research and outstanding researchers in the scientific topic you’re passionate about.
• Events to help you set the agenda – literally.

Our inclusion projects

At Springer Nature, our commitment to furthering global inclusion goes beyond our external partnerships. We are consistently and diligently working to help science and research achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and are proud to play an active role in promoting inclusion and fairness.

Our projects include: diversifying the sources interviewed in Nature’s content, creating a Global Inclusion in Research Publishing hub to help our editors improve inclusive practices and ensure the research we publish reflects and benefits the global scholarly community, and publishing Closing the Gender Gap report, which explores our role in shaping gender representation among our authors.

And of course, we’re publishing lots of content on understanding barriers and solutions to improving representation, equity and inclusion in science. Examples include: Nature’s special issue, Racism, Overcoming science’s toxic legacy — the first in the journal’s history to be guest edited —investigating a legacy of exclusion of historically marginalized groups and the impact of the lack of diversity among researchers. Nature’s collection, Disability inclusion in chemistry, explores how different disabilities, including deafness and neurodivergence, affect scientific careers. Meanwhile, attendees at Nature’s free conference, Breaking Barriers for Gender and Health Equity Through Research, can expect to discuss healthcare disparities based on gender identity, expression, disability, race, and ethnicity.

Through partnerships, conferences, awards, content, and other exciting initiatives, Springer Nature is working to understand these barriers and overcome the key challenges our respondents identified for creating a more inclusive scholarly community.

To start the conversation about a Nature partnership that can support your mission-focused organization’s commitment to global inclusion or other Sustainable Development Goals, talk to our team today.