资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

18/12/2019

Two evidence reviews on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), published by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) today, have informed the organisation’s forthcoming five-year plan to foster a more inclusive and diverse research and innovation environment.

The reviews, carried out by Advance HE on behalf of UKRI, establish a picture of what is currently known about the key challenges for EDI both in the UK and internationally, and the effectiveness of different interventions and practices.

Professor Jennifer Rubin, UKRI Executive Champion for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, said: “UKRI is committed to driving real change and fostering a diverse and inclusive research and innovation environment.

“We are taking an evidence-based approach to deliver on this ambition, and we will draw wherever possible on what works.

“The evidence reviews published today have informed our five-year plan for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, which we will publish in early 2020.”

Key findings from the reviews include:

• Most interventions focus on gender (or sex) equality or ‘general’ equality, diversity and inclusion interventions, such as diversity training ​
• Most UK interventions focus on higher education and career progression, and changing working culture​
• There is a lack of interventions in other areas, especially in innovation​ and non-STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) related areas
• Data collection practices for EDI vary, hampering robust analysis
• There is wide variation in the way EDI activities are evaluated, meaning it is difficult to measure effectiveness
• ​More consideration is needed to the design of funding calls, such as the timing of calls and interdisciplinarity.

The reviews find that in general successful interventions tend to:

• Involve collaboration across the organisation
• Have commitment from senior management
• Embed EDI awareness and initiatives into organisational culture.

UKRI will be evaluating these further as part of its evidence-based approach to EDI and will announce its overarching EDI vision and five-year plan in early 2020.

View the UK review and the International review. 

Another UKRI evidence review on bullying and harassment, conducted by the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, King’s College London, was published earlier this year and informed the development of UKRI’s position statement on bullying and harassment.