There is an urgent need to accelerate change to deliver initiatives that genuinely support carers, without adding to an already overworked community. We believe that opportunities for support need to be Flexible, Adaptable, Comprehensive and Transparent.

Here are four steps that can be used to improve current policies:

• Flexible — family-conscious grants must allow for extra funding requests to cover the costs of having a dependant, including expenses for a registered childminder or, when necessary, travel costs for dependants or those who care for them. Researchers would need to justify their requests, but the application forms should reflect the fact that personal circumstances differ, and approval should not be dictated by what the funder or employing institution considers appropriate. Having more trust from funding providers will help to cut through red tape and protect researcher-parents’ time.
• Adaptable — funders should provide opportunities for grant holders to apply retrospectively for extra care for dependants and travel arrangements if their situation changes.
• Comprehensive — family-friendly funding policies should be available for all early-career scientists (such as postdoctoral research assistants, PhD students and junior lecturers) who do not have existing grant funding.
• Transparent — organizations should consistently implement funders’ policies that support childcare responsibilities to ensure equity for all scientists.

To start the conversation about how as a sector we can better support those caring for dependents we have written an article, recently published in Nature.