Sarah Cosgriff (she/they) is a highly respected keynote speaker and advocate for diversity and inclusion in STEM. Their work focuses on engaging underserved audiences with science, fostering LGBTQ+ inclusion, driving equity in education, and asexual advocacy. Their dedication to these causes earned them a shortlist spot for the Positive Role Model Award – LGBT at the National Diversity Awards in 2022.
Sarah began their career with an academic foundation with a BSc in Biological Sciences and an MSc in Systems Biology at the University of Warwick. After graduating from their Masters, Sarah briefly researched the mechanics of cell migration using microscopy techniques. Throughout their career, Sarah has been committed to making STEM accessible to all, particularly those from underrepresented groups. Examples of this include supporting youth workers at The King’s Trust to deliver STEM activities, addressing gender imbalance in A-level Physics at the Institute of Physics, and consulting secondary schools on EDI at the Association for Science Education.
Among their many achievements, Sarah founded the STEM for Queer Youth initiative, which provides visibility of LGBTQ+ role models in STEM through visits to an LGBTQ+ youth group. They also develop education resources to support teachers with embedding LGBTQ+ people in STEM curricula and have run social media campaigns to raise the visibility of asexual people in STEM. Alongside this work, they deliver training to scientists on how to engage the public with science, with previous clients including the University of Manchester, the British Science Association, and the Genetics Society.
As a speaker, Sarah Cosgriff is known for their engaging, thought-provoking presentations that spark important conversations on EDI. They focus on crucial topics such as LGBTQ+ representation and inclusion in STEM, and asexuality in the workplace and education contexts. Their insights into diversity and inclusion are drawn from both their professional work and lived experiences, making Sarah’s talks impactful and highly relatable. Some of their previous talks have included science demonstrations, which are tied to the work of different LGBTQ+ scientists as well their own experiences as an asexual person.
Sarah Cosgriff's Official Speaker Topics are listed below:
LGBTQ+ Inclusion in STEM
- Why this is important and what workplaces can do
- Examples of the contributions of historic and present-day LGBTQ+ people in STEM
- Science demonstrations can be included if it fits the topics chosen by the client
- Sarah’s own experience working as a queer science communicator
Asexuality
- Introduction to what asexuality is
- The barriers that asexual people can face in the workplace, healthcare, personal life and education
- Examples of different experiences, taking into account intersections of different identities
- Steps workplaces can take to become more inclusive of asexual people
- Sarah’s own experience of being an asexual person
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
Feedback from In-Person Events:
"The Pride in the Partnership Network and John Lewis Partnership would like to express our sincere appreciation for the opportunity to engage with Sarah. Her talk was incredibly insightful, and it was a pleasure to learn about and recognise her journey. The conversation was highly engaging, and we are grateful for her help in bringing this important topic to life for our audience. Thank you, Sarah!" - Nicky, Partner & Convenience Optimisation Manager, Waitrose & Partners
"Sarah was an exceptional speaker at our LGBTQ+ in STEM symposium! The talk was informative and impactful, and we received lots of positive feedback from the audience." — Lucy Ahern, LGBTQ+ Network Lead, Francis Crick Institute
"Sarah delivered an amazing talk for council staff that covered a whole range of aspects of asexuality in an engaging and helpful way." — Gaby Koenig, Chair of the Women’s Staff Network, Slough Borough Council
"It was wonderful to host Sarah as an LGBTSTEM Day speaker! The talk itself was interesting, informative and insightful." — Em Haydon, Wellcome Connections
"Sarah delivered an amazing talk on Asexuality during our Pride celebration month at Tesco Mobile. It was insightful and opened up conversations exploring asexuality and how we can all contribute to more inclusive environments. Sarah was engaging and captivated her audience with her honesty, discussing her own personal journey, as well as sharing facts and compelling statistics that shed light on the experiences of asexual individuals. The feedback after her talk has been incredibly positive and has now helped us as a business look at how we can better support our asexual individuals." - Kirsty Bowker, Credit Risk and Fraud Analyst, Tesco
- 2024 – Science Communication Consultant, Curtain Up! The drama of sound and light
- 2023 – Consultant for STEM workshops, UK heritage site
- 2022 – Shortlisted for Positive Role Model Award – LGBT, National Diversity Awards
- 2022 – Public Engagement Training Course Developer, Oxford University
- 2022 – Educational Consultant, Show Me The Science - BBC Bitesize
- 2021 – Inclusion in Schools Consultant, The Association for Science Education
- 2020 – Coordinator, STEM for Queer Youth
- 2019 – Scientist in Residence, Lab_13 Programme
How to hire Sarah Cosgriff
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Sarah Cosgriff for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do NOT accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
