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Inclusion and diversity

Dame Carol Robinson – pioneering mass spectrometry in biomedical research

British chemist, Professor Dame Carol Robinson (DBE FRS FMedSci).

British chemist, Professor Dame Carol Robinson (DBE FRS FMedSci) has received the honour of being the first British person to be presented with the European Patent Office (EPO) Lifetime Achievement Award at the European Inventor Awards in Malta.

Returning to a STEM Career

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Inclusion and diversity, Patents, Recruitment, Return to a STEM career, STEM career

As an organisation with flexible working and family-friendly policies, The Intellectual Property Office’s (IPO)’s ‘returners to STEM’ programme is an initiative it is particularly proud of. As the applications portal reopens for 2023, we hear from people who have already taken up the opportunity to take a first step back on the STEM career ladder after a break.

Dyslexia – a different way of thinking

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Environment, Inclusion and diversity, Innovation, IPO, Patents, Recruitment, STEM career
In our Intellectual property office blog, https://ipo.blog.gov.uk/ we hear from a colleague with dyslexia, who outlines how they can make a positive difference at work through their different way of thinking. Our blog is illustrated by a sea crowded with paper boats, one of which is being lifted up into blue skies by a beautiful red hot air balloon. The idea is that this symbolises the new way of thinking rising up from the norm - a metaphor for new and different thinking.

The IPO has recently been proud to achieve the British Dyslexia Association SMART award, in recognition of good practice when supporting the needs of dyslexic and neuro-diverse individuals.  Here we take a look at how colleagues with dyslexia are able to contribute positively to life and work at the IPO through their 'different way of thinking'. 

Meet the IPO Board: Director of People and Place, Penny Phillpotts 

Penny Phillpotts, Director of People and Place at the IPO

Next in our 'Meet the Board' series, we speak to Penny Phillpotts, Director of People and Place at the IPO. We discuss where her career started, her experience since joining the IPO last year and her priorities for the future.

Insights into tech careers and courses with Code First Girls

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Digital, Gender Pay Gap, Inclusion and diversity, Recruitment, STEM career
Woman gazing and smiling

The IPO has been collaborating with Code First Girls on a series of Mass Open Online Courses (MOOCs). These courses gave an insight into some of the STEM career paths at the IPO and how people of all ages and genders can enter the field.

Crowdsourcing brings gender neutrality to a legacy manual.

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Inclusion and diversity, Patents

A team of more than 40 ‘crowdsourced’ patent examiners took on the task of upgrading all 1,028 pages of the IPO’s 35-year-old Manual of Patent Practice, aiming to refresh its dated language and make it inclusive. Senior Patent Examiner Phil Lawrence tells us more.