About

Who we are

Creating a support network for women and non-binary students and researchers in Mathematics and related disciplines.

Who We Are

“Despite the fact that 40% of UK graduates in the mathematical sciences are female, only 6% of them go on to be professors.”

— LMS Report, 2013

Founded in October 2019, 3 PhD students at the University of Edinburgh started The Piscopia Initiative to tackle the participation crisis of women and non-binary people in mathematics research in the UK. We aim to encourage women and non-binary students to pursue a PhD in mathematics.

Today, we have local committees at 19 UK universities and we are constantly looking to expand. We have reached over 250 members from undergraduates all the way up to Professors.

What we do

Nationally, we run a monthly seminar series aimed at undergraduate students. We also have an annual event, PiFORUM, with contributed talks, workshops and panel discussions. The events aim to:

  • Raise awareness for the PhD option among our target group and increase the attendees’ knowledge about doing a PhD and the application process.
  • Highlight women and non-binary role models at all career stages.
  • Provide event attendees with a support network made up of peers, women & non-binary researchers at their university, and the wider Piscopia community.
  • Provide a platform where they are able to ask questions in the future.
What’s on

Our local committees run events throughout the year such as:

  • Mentoring schemes
  • Coffee mornings
  • PhD informatione events
  • Social sports
Meet the local committees

We also created a booklet that documents the PhD application process from just considering PhD study all the way to interview.

Read the booklet

Get Involved

So what can you do?

  • Send us an email to join our mailing list.
  • Come along to our events.
  • Join or start a committee at your University.
  • Tell your friends, peers and colleagues about us!

We know from our past events and our own experiences how important hearing from others is when considering your next steps, and we want to give you a platform to do so, so please get in touch.

Why Piscopia?

Elena Piscopia was the first woman to receive a PhD.

Our Vision

In 2019, we committed to develop an outreach scheme to encourage women and non-binary participation in postgraduate research programmes in the mathematical sciences across UK universities. Through awareness schemes, information events, and application support and mentoring, we aim to empower capable women and non-binary students in the early stages of their mathematical careers to believe in academia as a viable option, and bring their aspirations to fruition.  Partnerships with universities will provide the connections necessary to implement and expand the scheme. Success is measurable by monitoring the number of successful applications to postgraduate research schemes for the 2021 cohorts, attainment of the expansion of the scheme to at least 4 UK universities and the implementation of a UK-wide Piscopia society.

Page last updated: 06/10/2023