Small grants seed change and belonging at Faculty of Science

The Faculty of Science EDI Small Grants Program was created to support grassroots efforts within science departments foster respect, inclusion and belonging.

The 2025 call for proposals sparked many creative ideas from faculty, staff and students from across the Faculty of Science and eleven projects were selected, including guest speakers, poster presentations, workshops and networking events. Some of the projects completed so far include:

Women in Math Day

The SFU Mathematics EDI Advisory Group hosted a Women in Math Day luncheon for self-identifying women and non-binary people as well as a single slide showcase to celebrate the work of women in mathematics on May 12, 2025. These events attracted over 40 participants who valued learning about the work of female mathematicians and the opportunity to socialize with others in the department.

Quantum Bootcamp for Girls

This two-day event at SFU in August 2025 attracted 25 female students aged 12-19 to explore the fundamentals of quantum computing and learn about career opportunities in the field. The weekend featured a mix of presentations, panel discussions and hands-on activities led by quantum researchers and professionals from SFU, UBC and the private sector aimed to inspire students to consider studying physics and quantum in the future. A majority of participants came away from the weekend feeling that they’d learned a lot and would recommend a similar event to a friend.

Jumpstart Your Academic Job Workshop

The academic job market is competitive and women continue to be underrepresented in academic and research positions. The Chemistry EDI committee hosted a workshop in August aimed to help female grad students and postdocs across the sciences build the job search skills they need to be competitive in the academic job market. Workshop participants learned strategies for preparing job applications, navigating faculty interviews, networking and seeking out mentors. Follow-ups with workshop participants are ongoing.

LGBTQ+ in STEM Day

The SFU Physics IDEA team’s ongoing work to celebrate LGBTQ+ in STEM Day on November 18 has expanded this year to include a newly-designed set of posters that honour past and present LGBTQ+ scientists from multiple disciplines. They’re hosting a catered coffee hour at the Physics office this Friday, November 21 at 3:30pm that will allow people to connect and reflect.