Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Check out our questions and answers to find out more about the Gamechangers for Diversity in STEM event.

Applications

Why are you holding this event on a weekend? It is difficult for people with caring responsibilties to attend!
This is absolutely true, and something we considered when we were building the event. We know that it's hard for parents to join events that are outside of school hours (evenings and weekends for example) but also that some people who work in tech aren't able to contribute to these initiatives during their work hours!

We decided to split the difference: Gamechangers is held on a Friday and a Saturday. If you're only able to attend one day, that's absolutely fine, please just say so in your application. Alternatively, we have funding available for childcare and we would be delighted to help support you where we can. There's a space to apply for funding on the application form, or you can get in touch via our contact page.

Is the event free?
Yes, there is no charge to attend! We are asking people to apply via our website though because spaces are limited.

When will I find out whether my application has been accepted?
We will review all applications after the deadline and you will hear whether or not your application has been accepted by the end of August.

Do you have a code of conduct?
Yes! All attendees are expected to read our code of conduct in advance of their arrival. It is available as a google doc at bit.ly/GamechangersCodeOfConduct so that we can incorporate our participants' feedback and suggestions. Our goal is to build a set of community norms rather than dictate our expectations from on hight.

Gamechangers for Diversity in STEM is an inclusive event where people should feel comfortable sharing their work, opinions, and perspectives. We ask that all participants commit to engaging with each other mindfully to ensure an environment that promotes shared learning and collaboration.

The short version of the Gamechangers Code of Conduct is that we are dedicated to a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, or religion.

How should we communicate?
We hope you'll have lots of fun chatting in person, but the Slack workspace should also be a useful. We want to make it easy for you to chat when the teams are in different rooms, and also to stay in touch with you after the event!

What is a pitch?
On Saturday afternoon we will be joined by invited guests who are interested in supporting the initiatives developed by the Gamechangers teams. Each group will have (a strictly timed!) 5 minutes to share their proposal.

Teams are welcome to use these 5 minutes as they would like. We will be recording the pitches and sharing them on our website after the event (along with the team members and , so we recommend that teams spend at least a little time polishing their presentation. We hope that the recording will be useful for the group members to promote their idea after the end of the two day Gamechangers event.

Why are you giving prizes if you want to run a collaborative event?
Great question! Our goal for this event is absolutely to signal boost all the wonderful ideas and initiatives that our participants are already leading. To super charge them by providing mentorship and building connections between similar projects within the network. We're very confident that all of the pitches will be fascinating and contain really excellent ideas.

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors we did consider giving everyone a prize! Ultimately though, we've decided to reward the top 3-4 project teams with prizes between £500 and £1000 to allow them to quickly take their concept forward. Beyond the financial prize, we also want those awards to be symbols of our judging panel's endorsement that these were evidence-based and practical ways to build more inclusive environments in STEM.

Can we talk about what we are doing?
YES! We want to show off all your ideas. The goal of the event is to draw attention to your initiatives (new and ongoing) and build more awareness around the need for improverments around diversity in STEM.

We have a twitter account @STEMGamechange and a hashtag #STEMGamechangers and we would love for you to share your stories through the two days (and beyond!).

HOWEVER, you must also abide by the code of conduct and do not share information - including photographs - about someone else if they have not given you permission. This includes their experiences and stories, and might include details of your project. It is up to your team to agree on what details you are comfortable sharing publicly.

Video recording and photographs
The wonderful Dan and Chizom will be making a video recording of the event. They will be recording mini interviews (just 5 minutes of your time) on Friday afternoon. Let one of the organisers know if you would like to be interviewed.

Dan, Chizom and our photographer Arif will be around over both days taking pictures of the event. If you do not want to appear in the video or a photograph please make sure you are wearing a red lanyard. That will make it really easy to make sure you are not in any of the clips or pictures.

Arif will also be taking professional headshots for anyone who would like one. Just find him during lunch on Friday (or if you catch him roaming around!)

If your question isn't answered here, please send us a message. Thank you!