London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Oct 19, 2025

‘Feeling over fact’? Report on ‘institutional racism’ facing black scientists in UK draws ‘race-baiting’ accusations

‘Feeling over fact’? Report on ‘institutional racism’ facing black scientists in UK draws ‘race-baiting’ accusations

A report in which black British scientists describe the UK’s research culture as “institutionally racist” has prompted yet another debate over the existence of “structural bias” in academia and drawn accusations of “race-baiting.”

The featured scientists, black professors, and PhD holders told the BBC that race plays a factor at every stage of their academic career – from rejected job and grant money applications through to the lack of “support” from institutions and white colleagues.

The problem of “definitely institutionally racist” academic research is made worse by the lack of recognition by white senior scientists, Christopher Jackson, a geoscience professor at Manchester University, told the broadcaster.

White colleagues do not provide the support needed “to navigate a system which is often quite alien to [black scientists] and to tell you about some of the unspoken norms and hidden laws that are in there,” Jackson said.

A Royal Society study found higher drop-out rates among black STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) researchers, compared to their white counterparts and those from other minority groups.

Using official data from between 2007 and 2019, it noted that black people accounted for 1.7% of all STEM research staff, despite making up 3.4% of the population – and found that only 3.5% of those black STEM scientists made it to the professor level, compared to nearly 12% of white STEM academic staff.

Imperial College researcher Mark Richards told the BBC that the findings “seem to show that there is an element of racism or structural bias” and noted that older scientists are “looking for a younger version of themselves” to mentor and guide, meaning those from minority backgrounds are less likely to be favoured.

An investigation into the UK Research and Innovation agency (UKRI) found last year that none of the £4.3 million in funding towards studying the impact of Covid-19 on ethnicity minority groups went to proposals brought by black scientists.

While some commenters agreed with the scientists that there was a“systemic” issue and “problem of under-representation” when it comes to black scientists, the report sparked accusations that they were playing “the race card” and putting “feeling over fact.”

“By gatekeeping a culture that is systemically racist, research and STEM loses out on huge talent,” one person tweeted.


Others disagreed, with one suggesting that the “whole premise” of structural bias was “racist,” since everyone has to “navigate [and] use the same structures.”

Meanwhile, several insisted that “ability,” and not skin colour, was the sole basis upon which hiring decisions were made.



Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
×