Frequently Asked Questions About EDI in Research

Questions Related to EDI in Research Teams

How can I prepare ahead of time for EDI sections in Research Grants?

• Create a dedicated file to track your progress and update it regularly. 
• Gather references about EDI challenges in your field, and then think about how those challenges might apply to your program and Lakehead specifically. 
• Reflect on your past inclusive actions, noting what worked well and what could be improved. 
• Start outlining concrete steps you can take to address these issues in the future. 
• Don't forget to keep up-to-date with EDI training and resources, and add them to your file. This file will be a valuable tool when you're applying for grants and other opportunities.

Why do I need to address EDI in grant applications? 

Integrating EDI principles is crucial for fostering equitable research participation. Prioritizing inclusion removes discriminatory barriers, promoting equal opportunity. Furthermore, diverse research teams, enriched by varied perspectives, drive greater innovation and research excellence. It's essential to consider EDI implications during research design. For more information, contact the EDI Research Facilitator or look at our EDI in Research Resources Webpage.

Can you provide some examples of strategies specifically addressing EDI within my research team?

Some examples of strategies you could include in your research team to address EDI are: 

• Describe both the barriers/challenges to inclusion for those from Equity Deserving Groups within your field/specific area of research AND how you are addressing them with your specific approach to training 
• Describe how you recruit trainees. Are you using gender neutral language when posting for positions? Do you advertise widely to all students who may be interested in joining your team? 
• Describe how you select the students who join your team. Do you use predetermined criteria for assessing all applicants equitably? Do you take into consideration diverse experiences? 
• Describe concrete practices you are employing within your group to ensure equity, diversity and inclusion are upheld
• Describe your approach to mentorship by highlighting EDI best practices
• Ex. Do you hold regular meetings with each student individually to work with them for the best approach to meet their research objectives?
• Hold regular meetings with members of the team to openly discuss the team environment and collectively develop a plan to address confidential concerns
• Consider requiring that all members of the research team responsible for hiring take unconscious bias training from the Tri-Agencies and EDI training for research offered by the Office of Research Services
• Ensure your team understands microaggressions and work towards creating a supportive and respectful research environment for all team members
• Ensure all team members have equitable access to the equipment and resources they need to complete their projects 
• Comment on how you employ flexible working arrangements to accommodate diverse needs, acknowledge multi-faith holidays, facilitate open communication, and have equitable processes for distributing learning/dissemination opportunities
• Consider developing mentorship opportunities for research team members, including funding for ongoing training and professional development opportunities, in the research proposal
• Ensure that your group meetings incorporate all diverse perspectives and that everyone embraces differences with respect and dignity
• Develop a formal statement from your research group regarding your commitment to diversity that is posted and updated yearly
• Discuss any accessibility needs that may need to be addressed in your research team for everyone to participate equitably
• Provide financial support for trainees to attend conferences and for community members who participate in your research activities 

How should I recruit a diverse team?

For equitable hiring, consider these four critical points:

1) Actively remove systemic barriers to diversity through transparent selection processes.

2) Ensure that all criteria for how you will assess the candidates is determined before you begin reviewing applications. This can include using a matrix that everyone on the search committee uses.

3) Select from candidates meeting defined competency thresholds to build a skilled team.

4) Provide EDI training to hiring committees and consider adding an EDI expert to ensure unbiased evaluations.

Should I list the members of Equity Deserving Groups on my team in an application? 

EDI discussed in relation to research teams centers on equitable and inclusive processes, not team demographics. It is very important not to tokenize yourself or your team members. Emphasize the team's EDI competence and culture, avoiding any mention of individual identities to protect privacy. Instead, describe: 1) the challenges in recruiting a diverse team and fostering an inclusive environment, and 2) your team's action plan to address these obstacles. Review committees assess the EDI processes implemented and in place, not the team's composition.

My team is already diverse, what else can I do?

To effectively address EDI, consider three critical aspects: 1) Understand that diversity requires complementary inclusive practices; articulate your team's leadership and management strategies. 2) Provide a clear action plan for sustained team diversity, as reviewers cannot judge whether the current diversity is random. 3) Expand your reach by engaging diverse external groups to foster broader research participation.

Questions Related to EDI in Research Practice

How can I include EDI within my research design?

Research design begins with defining a problem and formulating a research question, both inherently shaped by underlying assumptions and worldviews. Integrating EDI into this process involves critically examining these assumptions, particularly regarding sex, gender, and diversity. This ensures research findings are socially relevant, rigorously validated, and ethically sound.

What sort of questions should my research design section address to include sound EDI best practices?

For effective EDI integration, you should:

1) Clearly articulate the relevance of sex, gender, and diversity to your study, reflecting on population diversity and potential methodological adaptations. Consider exploring and applying Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) for more insights.

2) Systematically strengthen all research design aspects through EDI considerations, from question framing to result dissemination, and be prepared to justify your approach for how that meets EDI best practices.

Please review the links on our EDI in Research Resources page for more helpful tips!

My research doesn't involve EDI, do I really need to answer this question?

It's important to think beyond just the research itself. Even if your study doesn't look at sex, gender, or diversity directly, have you considered who is involved in creating the research questions, carrying out the study, and sharing the findings? If you believe that sex, gender, and diversity don't apply to your research at all, you'll need to explain why.