WISC
Women & Inclusion in Supramolecular Chemistry

It has been a busy year for WISC. As our community continues to grow, so does the range of activities. This year has also marked an important new chapter for WISC, with our name changing from Women in Supramolecular Chemistry to Women & Inclusion in Supramolecular Chemistry.

The new name reflects our ambition to create a welcoming and supportive community for people from a range of backgrounds across supramolecular chemistry.
 

In this issue

- WISC & MASC: EDIA Award and career panel

- WISC representation in ISMSC Bordeaux and in Supramol2026, Italy

- Our Community Clusters: introducing the people and initiatives behind our 1st Gen, Parenting, LGBTQ+, Neurodivergence & Disability, Chemists in Crisis, and Mentoring clusters

- Meet WISC at the MASC (21-22 December 2026)!

Celebrating EDIA in supramolecular chemistry
 

The MASC/WISC EDIA Award recognises PhD students and early-career researchers who contribute to equality, equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA) within supramolecular chemistry and the wider community.
 

The 2026 award comes with a £100 prize and will be presented at the annual MASC Interest Group meeting on 21–22 December 2026 at the University of Sheffield. WISC particularly encourages applications from researchers with diverse interests and backgrounds.

Applications for the 2026 award are still open and should be submitted by email to the WISC chair (Prof. Emily Draper: Emily.Draper@glasgow.ac.uk).
 

Career panel with MASC

WISC continues to work closely with the RSC Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry (MASC) Group to create opportunities for conversations about careers and professional development.

In August, WISC collaborated with MASC on a special edition of the vMASC seminar series, “Career Development Seminar: Parents of Supramolecular Chemistry.” The session brought together a panel featuring WISC chair Emily Draper and discussed the experiences and challenges of combining parenting and an academic career, providing an opportunity for open conversations around career development and life in academia.
 

WISC at ISMSC 2026 in Bordeaux and at Supramol 2026 in Trieste

At the International Symposium on Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry (ISMSC) in Bordeaux, WISC board member Laura Bickerton lead a panel discussion focusing on inclusion and the experiences of researchers within our community. Paola Posocco represented WISC at the Supramol2026 Italian Supramolecular Chemistry Conference meeting in Trieste, sharing information about the network and our activities and connecting with researchers interested in getting involved.
 

The discussions provided an opportunity to introduce WISC's activities and community clusters while also hearing directly from researchers about their experiences and perspectives. We thank everyone who contributed questions, ideas and experiences to the discussion!
 

Introducing our Community Clusters

One of the ways WISC responds to the needs of our community is through Community Clusters. These spaces serve to connect people with shared experiences and exchange perspectives and support one another.

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1st Generation Cluster

The 1st Generation Cluster brings together members of the supramolecular community who are the first in their families to attend university.

The cluster has explored the experiences of First Gen researchers through community-led research, resulting in the 2025 Chemical Science publication “Being a first generation university graduate, the impact on a career in science.” The cluster is currently exploring new directions and initiatives. For suggestions please reach out to cluster chair Anita Nehra (anita25nehra@gmail.com)
 

Parenting Cluster

The Parenting Cluster provides a space for academic parents and prospective parents to connect and share experiences of combining research careers with caring responsibilities.

The cluster is currently collecting experiences from parents and future parents to help develop resources and initiatives for the community, in addition to work towards influencing policy. This work will also contribute to upcoming perspective articles in journals and to a forthcoming book on parenting in academia.

Alongside the ongoing work on parenting in academia, new projects are being developed on the experiences of parents of children with additional support needs and on support for researchers caring for their own parents. The latter will explore access to leave for caring responsibilities and differences in policies across universities.

 

LGBTQ+ Cluster

The LGBTQ+ Cluster is creating space for members of the supramolecular community to share their experiences of being LGBTQ+ in science. The LGBTQ+ Cluster will be looking to collect testimonials from members of the supramolecular community about their experiences being LGBTQ+. It is further trying to hear what LGBTQ+ members of the community would like to see from the cluster going forward.

 

Neurodivergence & Disability Cluster

This cluster is for anybody who lives with or has experienced disability, mental health difficulties or neurodivergence. Our cluster aims to provide a community and platform to share experiences and support good practice for creating inclusive and accessible environments. The cluster is currently preparing questions to gather personal experiences of neurodivergence and disability in research and help inform its future activities.

 

Chemists in Crisis Cluster

Researchers in some countries and regions face significant challenges due to war, economic instability and other crises, which can limit access to research infrastructure, funding and international opportunities. The Chemists in Crisis Cluster aims to create resources and connections that facilitate information exchange and help researchers find opportunities for international collaborations, research stays and scientific exchanges. By connecting researchers and institutions across borders, the cluster hopes to help enable science and research regardless of where researchers are located.

Plans are being developed for a workshop on low-cost, sustainable laboratory practices. The cluster is also exploring ways to share students’ experiences of conducting research during war that bring their perspectives to the wider scientific community.

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Mentoring Cluster

The Mentoring Cluster connects researchers at different career stages and provides opportunities to exchange experience, advice and support. Through mentoring and peer connections, the cluster aims to help researchers navigate career decisions, transitions and the less visible aspects of academic and scientific careers. Signing up for mentoring project, either as mentee or as mentor is easy and can be done here: Mentoring | Women in Supramolecular Chemistry 

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Meet WISC at upcoming conferences

WISC will be represented with a talk at the MASC meeting in Sheffield on 21–22 December 2026. We look forward to connecting with the community and sharing more about our activities.

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What comes next?

WISC is a community-led network, and what we do next depends on what our community needs. We would love to hear from you! Whether you have an idea for a new initiative, would like to join one of the clusters, want to become involved in mentoring, or simply want to connect with others in the field.

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Thank you to everyone who has contributed to WISC this year. We look forward to continuing to build the community together.