Black History Month - Honouring Our Communities in STEM
What is black history month?
Black History Month began to celebrate the achievements of black people and their contribution to society in Britain thirty-nine years ago.
The theme for Black History Month 2026 is Honouring Our Communities.
Who has helped shape the UK STEM community and where can we find community today.
Why does it matter?
“It's hard to be what you can't see,”[1] said children’s rights activist Marian Wright Edelman. This saying still holds true in higher education and chemistry. In 2024/2025 of 244,755 academic staff, 3.44% were black. [2]
The Royal Society of Chemistry was interviewed for the 2023, House of Commons Science and Technology Committee report[3], “Diversity and inclusion in STEM” and reported that in 2020, 1% of its membership was black.[4]
Honouring our community - inspirational black people in STEM from the past and present
Here are just a few black scientists that have helped shape our STEM community:
Dr. Alan Powell Goffe – A UK pathologist and vaccine researcher who helped develop the first polio and measles vaccines. Read more about his legacy at https://www.bmj.com/content/2/5512/531
Prof. Robert Mokaya He became the first black President of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2026. He said in an interview with the Royal Society of Chemistry[5], “I am a strong believer that if you want to have a high-performing team, you should have an inclusive and diverse team. If you exclude any section of the community, then I believe you are short-changing yourself.” Read more about his journey at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-60708712
Dr. Charlotte Armah – is a nutritional biochemist who works to research whether eating certain foods such as broccoli can protect us from diseases.[6] Watch her interview for the Royal Society at https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/library/resource/228594/charlotte-armah
Dame Prof. Ijeoma Uchegbu DBE FMedSci HonFRSC is a nanoscientist and President of Wolfson College, University of Cambridge and Governor on the Wellcome board amongst many other roles. She was also UCL Provost's Envoy for Race Equality. Her research looks at drug delivery solutions. Read more at https://www.wolfson.cam.ac.uk/people/ijeoma-uchegbu
Dr. Diane Ashiru-Oredope is lead Pharmacist for healthcare-associated infections (HCAI) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at UK Health Security Agency, the Department of Health Expert Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI). Her work investigates antimicrobial resistance. Read more about at https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/author/diane-ashiru-oredope/
Dr. Kayisha Payne has a Master’s in Advanced Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London. The was featured as one of The Top 100 Most Influential BAME leaders in Diversity and Technology by the Financial Times in 2018. She helped to set up the network for Black British Professionals in STEM (BBSTEM) and is currently a Healthcare and Life Sciences Consultant for Alvarez & Marsal. Read more about her experiences at https://www.physoc.org/magazine-articles/the-only-one-in-the-room-why-i-set-up-bbstem/
Dr. Mark Richards is a physicist and Senior Teaching Fellow at Imperial. His work focusses on the spectroscopic study of nitric acid vapour for atmospheric remote sensing retrievals. He founded The Blackett Lab Family, a network started for those working in physics but expanded to include a community of professionals from education, industry, technology, finance and law. Read more about Dr. Richards at https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/mark.richards
Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE is Commissioner for the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities and space scientist. She is well known for broadcasting programmes on space and her work promoting STEM subjects. Read more about her role in the government at https://www.gov.uk/government/people/maggie-aderin-pocock
Prof. Christopher Aiden Lee Jackson is a geoscientist at Imperial College London and broadcaster. His work focusses on basin analysis. He was the first black scientist to present the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures.[7] Read more about his research at https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/c.jackson
Prof. Nira Chamberlain OBE is a mathematician and broadcaster who has worked in mathematical modelling for the defence, aerospace, automative and energy sectors. He was named as one of the UK’s top scientists by the Science Council in 2014. His popular lectures include “The Black Heros of Mathematics” available to view at https://youtu.be/g5nyGtQVKnc?si=VwM5uPRMkVch-LrL. Read more about him at http://nirachamberlainobe.com/about-dr-nira-chamberlain-obe/
Prof. Kathleen Adebola Okikiolu is a mathematician currently at John Hopkins University. Her research is based on harmonic analysis, spectral theory and geometry. She received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 1997 for her research and work in education for inner-city school children. Read more at https://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/PEEPS/okikiolu_katherine.html
Resources for scientists:
Networks to join and find community
Black in Biomed is a network for young Black Biomedical Scientists and students. Join at https://blackinbiomed.co.uk
Black Leaders in Higher Education UK is a LinkedIn group for Black staff and students in higher education. Join at https://www.linkedin.com/in/blhe-uk
The Black Researcher Consortium is a membership organisation designed, developed and built by people of Black heritage, for people of Black heritage to address the systemic under-representation of Black researchers in the UK workforce. More information at https://www.blackresearcherconsortium.org
The Black Women in Science (BWiS) Network is a community for women of African and Caribbean heritage in various stages of their scientific careers. More information at https://www.bwisnetwork.co.uk -
The Black Inclusivity Catalyst is a network founded by Imperial College London to drive greater participation in STEM and business within the Black community. More information at https://black-at-imperial.com/
The Blackett Laboratory is a UK based community of professionals from physics, research, education, industry, technology, finance and law. More information at https://theblackettlabfamily.com/#about
Black British Professionals in STEM is a network which aims to encourage, enable, and energise individuals in business, industry, and education to widen participation and contribution of Black individuals in STEM. More information at https://bbstem.co.uk
Fellowships & grants
The Royal Society Career Development Fellowship
Research funding scheme for early career scientists from underrepresented groups in STEM. Apply athttps://royalsociety.org/grants/career-development-fellowship/
University of Oxford Black Academic Futures
A scholarship scheme for UK Black graduate students and other under-represented groups. More information at https://www.campaign.ox.ac.uk/student-support/academic-futures
University of Bristol Black Futures Scholarship
A scholarship scheme for UK Black graduate students first year of undergraduate study. More information at https://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/support/finances/scholarships/black-futures-scholarship/
Open University Scholarship for Black Students
The Open Futures Scholarship for Black Students offers ten students the opportunity to study for free. More information at https://www.open.ac.uk/courses/fees-and-funding/scholarship-for-black-students/
Future Talent Network
The Future Talent Network supports young adults through their degree and into their first STEM role with internships and placements. More information at https://generatinggenius.org.uk/programmes/future-talent-network
Windsor Fellowship
The Windsor Fellowship (WF) is a charitable organisation that deliver personal development and leadership programmes, to enable talented people from diverse communities to fulfil their potential. More information at https://www.windsor-fellowship.org
Past UK Catalysis Hub webinars
https://youtu.be/qGmTcJ1hIS0?si=zlfhbT6V-eJCDhpK - EDI session: Careers in Science – routes to success no matter your background – Dr. Miriam O’Duill (Nottingham), Dr. Tanvir Hussain (Nottingham) & Dr. Nelson Dzade (Cardiff) from the UK Catalysis Hub Winter Conference 2020.
https://youtu.be/cq0F0wfSEVg?si=wrnP4ND0AUxhGAZR – Dr Jude Onwudili (Aston) gave a webinar on the recycling of different model and real waste plastics in hydrothermal media.
https://youtu.be/p7iCl597qBQ?si=Yy05V5_NINfA43OP - Dr. Michael Forde gave a webinar on Green Catalysis Examples and Insights from the Caribbean.
https://youtu.be/q_7K4GAW49k?si=A0vBxtVK_JVsGeq8 - Professor Bright Kwakye-Awuah is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi and gave a talk on the Catalytic activity of zeolite types LTA and LSX using waste sachet water in a re-designed jacketed reactor at the UK Catalysis Hub Summer Conference 2022.
Bibliography & Further reading
https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/article/section/science-and-medicine/black-heroes-science/
https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/42479/pdf/
https://royalsociety.org/about-us/who-we-are/diversity-inclusion/case-studies/inspiring-scientists/
https://stem.open.ac.uk/news/black-stem-hub/
References
[1] https://www.amacad.org/person/marian-wright-edelman
[2] Higher Education Statistics Agency - https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/19-02-2026/sb274-higher-education-staff-sta…
[3] House of Commons, Science and Technology Committee, Diversity and inclusion in STEM, Fifth Report of Session 2022–23 Report, together with formal minutes relating to the report Ordered by the House of Commons, 1 March 2023- https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/34531/documents/190060/de…
[4] https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/42479/pdf/
[5] https://www.rsc.org/news/robert-mokaya-profile
[6] https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/library/resource/228594/charlotte-arm…
[7] https://www.liysf.org.uk/liysf/principal-stem-lectures/professor-christ…