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What\u2019s a Biochemistry Undergrad Doing in Tai Pawb This Summer?<\/strong><\/p>\n Hello, my name is Tracey. In my term-time life, I\u2019m a Biochemistry undergrad at the University of Liverpool. So why on earth am I doing a summer placement at Tai Pawb, a membership organisation that promotes equality and diversity in the housing sector?<\/p>\n Getting good science embedded into public policy is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st<\/sup> century. From climate change to antibiotic resistance, science may describe the problem, but policymakers must enact the solutions. I knew from friends who work in the sector that housing is really rather good at this side of things. Not only is the sector packed full of people who are incredibly passionate about finding out what works, they are able to make policymakers sit up and take notice. I hoped to be able to take lessons learned in the housing sector back to my science studies with me, but would those lessons translate across the sectors?<\/p>\n Science and housing seem so different. In science, everything you study in the lab is (hopefully!) controlled, measured and standardised, but it\u2019s not so easy to do that in housing, when your focus is on real people\u2019s everyday lives. And you\u2019re certainly not allowed to experimentally take people\u2019s lives apart to find out how they work. Nonetheless, science and housing face many of the same challenges and opportunities – and the same skills and values allow people to rise to those challenges, and make the most of those opportunities.<\/p>\n They both believe in strength through diversity<\/strong><\/p>\n From the Athena Swan award to Tai Pawb\u2019s QED award in housing, both sectors recognise that innovation is more likely when diverging perspectives and different life experiences are brought together. My perception \u2013 maybe coloured by working alongside an incredible bunch of people who practice what they preach \u2013 is that housing is further along than STEM, especially in board diversity where many housing associations have already achieved gender balance and are working towards increasing diversity in other areas. However, the independent review of Athena SWAN is considering adding other protected characteristics to its requirements<\/a> so clearly there\u2019s a will to make further progress.<\/p>\n \u201cBig Data\u201d Challenges<\/strong><\/p>\n Recent feedback from Tai Pawb\u2019s members indicated that although lots of data is being collected on the diversity of their engagement groups and boards, it\u2019s not always clear what best to do with it \u2013 or indeed, whether proposed use of it is allowed within the protections of GDPR and ethics. This has many parallels with emerging issues of DNA collection and research in science.<\/p>\n At what point does our data cease to be \u201cours\u201d?<\/p>\n The public find it easier to understand the need for projects that treat visible, existing problems than projects that prevent or put a different focus on problems<\/strong><\/p>\n I joined Tai Pawb at a really exciting time. My first event was the launch of a joint campaign to make housing a human right in Wales<\/a>. I felt the event was a masterclass in policy communication, with a really detailed, academic report summarised for policy makers in such elegantly simple terms that even with no prior knowledge of the housing sector whatsoever, I was able to follow it. The beautiful surroundings of The Pierhead gave a real sense of history to the event, and Tai Pawb were delighted by the warm words of the Minister, Julie James AM, who welcomed the report and looked forward to exploring the issues in more detail.<\/p>\n