Fields in STEM and Synthetic Biology are rapidly expanding, with more and more people contributing to active research. At this stage, it becomes important evaluate whether we have equal representation from all sections of society.
Starting at the personal level, we evaluated the diversity in representation within our team. Avani, Manya, Anushka and Asmita represent the active female members of our team, and have contributed in various capacities - from holding important positions - Avani being the Wet Lab Coordinator and Anushka handling web development and design - to all four of them playing a key role in Wet Lab research. Their invaluable contributions are detailed in the Attributions section.
Our team also represents diversity in having members from all parts of the country. Subhanan, Shouvik, Arjun and several others hail from West Bengal and Aishik from Tripura in Eastern India, Suvam from Odisha in the south east, Parth and Avani from Northern India, Anushka from Central India and Anurag, Manya, Geeth and Harish from South India, among many more. Our team being very vast was successful in accommodating all cultures and communities and all of them had an equal say in the work without any distinction whatsoever.
Towards the end of our project, we received significant assistance from the junior batch (the future iGEMers of IISc), and they, too, presented a diverse crowd.
Our regular surveys included questions related to inclusivity and accessibility in research in STEM and SynBio. We posed these questions to people through online surveys as well as those on the streets of Bangalore.
“Inclusivity isn’t there in a lot of fields in India. We can improve the situation by not being biased and giving equal opportunities to these sections of society.”
“We should have campaigns to spread awareness, especially in places like villages.”
“Isn’t inclusivity already there since there is now a women’s quota at the IITs?”
“I'm doing a PhD in Chemistry, and all my colleagues are women - so I feel we are inclusive enough.”
“What's needed is for us to increase awareness in rural areas. Because there, what most families want is to marry off their daughters and for them to lead domestic lives.”
“In India, there is no inclusivity for a lot of things. Inclusivity is seen only in very few fields. So yes, we do think it’s required.”
“Yeah, probably by not being biased and giving more opportunities to those sections of society.”
As part of the All India iGEM Meet, Avani and Manya from our team conducted a fireside chat with Prof. Sanhita Sinharay from the Department of Bioengineering, IISc, and Prof. Attreyee Ghosh from the Centre for Earth Sciences, IISc.
Avani and Manya were curious to know about the inspiration the panelists had had to pursue a career in their fields, and who their role models and mentors had been. Dr. Attreyee recounted her time in high school and how Sudipta Sengupta – the first Indian woman to travel to Antarctica – was a huge inspiration to her, whereas Dr. Sanhitha always had an appetite for knowledge and explored various fields throughout her career - moving from Chemistry to Biology. She had various role models in her life, each prominent during a different stage of her life.
Avani and Manya further asked if the panelists could reason out why among STEM fields, a lot of women choose to go into life sciences as compared to other areas. Neither of them had a definitive answer and raised some possibilities as to why this may be. The next question tried to address the importance of cultural background shaping and influencing one as a person. Both agreed that their supportive families and academically driven environments helped them nurture their worldviews and encouraged them to pursue a career in science. Consequently, science made them think logically and brought more discipline into their life.
Finally, Avani and Manya asked for the panelists' views on the significance of science communication, to which they said that they enjoy giving talks to younger students and are always happy to see them getting inspired. The chat was concluded after taking more questions from the audience.
Inclusivity in STEM and Synthetic Biology fields in India faces several barriers, often related to cultural, socioeconomic, and systemic factors. Addressing these barriers requires a multifaceted approach. Here are some key challenges and suggestions for overcoming them:
Barriers: Gender bias is prevalent in STEM fields globally, and in India, societal expectations often deter women from pursuing careers in research. Gender stereotypes, lack of female role models, and workplace discrimination contribute to underrepresentation.
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Barriers: Research often requires access to resources, such as laboratories, advanced tools, and education. Individuals from marginalized communities may not have access to these resources due to financial limitations.
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Barriers: English is often the primary language of instruction and research publication in India, but many students, especially from non-urban areas, may not have strong English proficiency, limiting their participation in research.
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Barriers: Many students in India are confined to traditional streams of education without much exposure to interdisciplinary fields like Synthetic Biology, which combines biology, engineering, and computational science.
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Barriers: Marginalized communities (based on caste, religion, etc.) are underrepresented in research due to historical inequalities, which limits diversity in ideas and perspectives.
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Barriers: A lack of visible role models from underrepresented groups in research fields limits aspirations for young students. This is especially true in emerging fields like SynBio, where awareness of career paths is low.
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Barriers: Research opportunities are often concentrated in urban institutions, with rural and tier-2/3 cities lacking access to cutting-edge research infrastructure.
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By addressing these barriers through policy changes, awareness campaigns, and educational reforms, the inclusivity of STEM and SynBio fields in India can be significantly improved. These efforts would ensure that a diverse group of talented individuals contribute to scientific advancements, making the research community more dynamic and innovative.