EDICa run a Seminar Series to keep key stakeholders, caucus network members and partners informed on the work we are doing and promote industry-wide knowledge. The series showcases the work of the project team. It also focuses on closely related topics that others are working on. Please reach out if you have a topic you would like us to discuss, or an existing event we can support and share via this platform. We know there are great talks happening already on EDI in the research & innovation sector. Email us at EDICaucus@hw.ac.uk
Recording: Peer Review Bias- Part 1
Scroll further down for Part 2: Interventions for Funding Application Assessments taking place on 22 May, 10:00-11:30.
EDICa’s workstream on the research process has prepared a report on Peer Review Bias in the Funding Process, which now available on our website https://edicaucus.ac.uk/peer-review-bias/. As well as reviewing peer-reviewed literature, we examined funder documentation, such as action plans and guidance and information for reviewers. EDICa highlights several gaps in the research and some of the actions funders have taken to address bias (that are publicly available). In this seminar we discuss the report’s findings, the panellists’ research on funding bias and racism, and the effect on academic progression.
Part 2 of our seminars on peer review bias will take place on 22 May, 10:00-11:30 UK time.
Speakers
- Dr Cat Morgan, EDICa Postdoctoral Research Associate (Chair)
- Dr Ruby Zelzer, PhD in Material Science, focusing on metadata analysis for the purpose of eradicating systemic and institutional racism.
- Prof Mustafa Ozbilgin, Professor of Organisational Behaviour, research equality, diversity, and inclusion at the Brunel University London.
- Emilie Koum Besson, specialist in health finance at The Global Fund, and Advisory Board member on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the European Global Health Research Institutes Network
Seminar: Interventions for Funding Application Assessments
22 May 2024 10:00-11:30 BST online
Register by clicking here
Sign up to hear funders and researchers discuss different methods to address bias in the assessment of funding applications.
A panel with speakers from the Wellcome Trust, the British Academy and Cancer Research UK join researchers from EDICa, the Research on Research Institute, and Women in STEM in Australia discussing the rationale for, and effectiveness of, interventions that have been implemented to make the application assessment process fairer.
Dr Stefanie Scheider will also be talking to EDICa’s Evidence review: Peer review bias in the funding process. Click here to see the report.
Speakers
- Dr Stefanie Schneider, EDICa Postdoctoral Research Associate (Chair)
- Mathew Tata, Funding Policy and Governance Manager, Cancer Research UK
- Dr Ken Emond, Head of Research Funding, The British Academy
- Dr Lisa A. Williams, University of New South Wales, Women in STEM Australia
- Gearóid Maguire, Practice Manager, Wellcome Trust
- Prof Tom Stafford, AFIRE Project, Research on Research Institute
Seminar: Deaf Researchers’ Experience of the UK’s Research Sector
25 June 2024 15:00-16:30 BST online
Register by clicking here
Have you ever thought about what it’s like for deaf researchers working in the UK? The specialised research done in deaf communities, the difference in sign languages among English-speaking countries, and how technical language in developing fields is interpreted?
Join EDICa’s Deputy Principal Investigator, Prof Jemina Napier, who will be leading a discussion with four deaf researchers on their experiences of working in the UK’s research sector. The discussion will take place in British Sign Language with an interpretation provided in spoken English.
Our panel of four researchers is:
- Dr Emma Ferguson-Coleman is a Research Fellow at the University of Manchester, exploring culturally appropriate support interventions for Deaf carers of people living with dementia. Her fellowship is funded by the Alzheimer’s Society. Her research interests also include Deaf children with autism. Some of her teaching includes working with interpreters on how to work effectively with Deaf people with dementia and their care partners.
- Ixone Sáenz Paraíso is currently a PhD student in Spain, following on from completing her Data Science MA at London South Bank University. She has worked on a sign language glossary to support widening access to the tech industry to deaf people. (E.g. the sign for the computer language python is not the same as the snake.) Ixone wrote an article sharing some of the challenges she faced navigating multiple languages in this article.
- Gary Quinn is an Assistant Professor in British Sign Language and is also a PhD student at Heriot-Watt University. His research interests include sign linguistics and sign language variation.
- Dr Mette Sommer Lindsay is an Assistant Professor in Languages and Intercultural Studies at Heriot-Watt University. Her research interests include Deaf and Disability studies, employment sociology, and minority entrepreneurship.
This seminar will be recorded and published on our YouTube channel and our website.
Previous Seminars
Disability Access workshop – Dr Katherine Deane & Dan Burrill
On 14 March 2024, Dr Katherine Deane and Dan Burrill from the University of East Anglia visited Heriot-Watt University campus to do a workshop with staff on disability access.
Katherine and Dan are available to download below, and Katherine is happy to be contacted with questions.
Recording- Menstrual Health at Work
EDICa’s workstream on the career lifecycle focuses on the gap in research on menstrual health – this includes normal and problematic menstruation and (peri)menopause. In this seminar EDICa postdoctoral research associate Chiara Cocco shares initial findings from our evidence review and 50+ interviews of people with lived experience. Ellie Honan – polar scientist and PhD researcher in snow petrel movement and diet, Vice President of UK Polar Network -shared her work on raising awareness and understanding in this area. See BBC article on her tackling of taboo periods. Dharma Reyes Macaya – Senior Technician in palaeoceanography and biogeochemistry in the Lyell Centre for Earth & Marine Science & Technology and PhD researcher at MARUM, University of Bremen, Germany – shares her experience of menstruation and conducting fieldwork on research ships. Ashmika Motee, PhD researcher, explains her research on problematic menstruation and remote work environments. Juliet Nwafor, PhD researcher, introduces her research on menstruation in the banking sector of Nigeria. And Gabriella Goodrich, PhD researcher, shares her research project on menstrual health in the hospitality sector.
Closed captions have been carefully corrected and EDICa is working on getting a BSL interpretation recorded which will be published when available.
Recording- Tools for Change
Two tools for implementing EDI change
Karen Grayson from the Royal Academy of Engineering presented the Diversity & Inclusion Progression Framework (link here), and Sarah Higginson from the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions presented the EDI Cube (link here). Both are tools for assessing and implementing change in equality, diversity & inclusion in research.
Dr Clay Magill, Associate Professor in Geochemistry at the Lyell Centre for Earth & Marine Science & Technology, and EDICa Lead on Neurodiversity, chaired the discussion.
The D&I Progression Framework (link to full information here) was developed to support science and engineering professional bodies. It helps them track and plan progress on D&I across ten areas of professional body activity.
The EDI Cube (link to full information here ) can be used to aid teaching or awareness raising workshops; as a prompt during bid writing; and as a project evaluation tool. Topics include how diverse is your research team? What is the historical context and structural inequality of your research topic? What additional costs should be factored in when designing inclusive research?
Recording – In Conversation with EDICa Workstream Leads
Catch-up or rewatch our first seminar series.
‘In conversation with the EDICa team’ which took place on 19 September, 2023.
Moderated by Prof Jason Arday, hear our workstream leads: Prof Kate Sang, Prof Robert MacIntosh, and Dr James Richards.
In Conversation with Workstream Leads
The conversation will be moderated by Professor Jason Arday, Professor of Sociology of Education, Cambridge University.
Click here to see an article on Jason.
Professor Kate Sang
EDICa Principal Investigator & Workstream 1 Lead
Professor of Gender & Employment Studies, Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University
Click here to see Kate’s profile
Professor Robert MacIntosh
EDICa Workstream 2 Lead
Pro Vice-Chancellor for Business and Law, Northumbria University
Click here to see Robert’s profile
Dr James Richards
EDICa Workstream 3 Lead
Associate Professor in Human Resource Management, Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University
Click here to see James’ profile