As part of our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in ESRC we are piloting a range of activities both within our community and workforce.
EDI in our community
Innovation and Research Caucus
The caucus is accelerating the generation of evidence around supporting diversity in UKRI’s innovation funding support. For example, one project has worked to understand the success rates of applicants to Innovate UK’s funding opportunities by gender, ethnicity and education. In the absence of self-reported data, the study adopted an experimental approach using machine learning to identified the perceived gender, ethnicity and education of applicants.
Email: alexandra.hughesjohnson@esrc.ukri.org
Metascience Unit
ESRC co-hosts the £10 million metascience programme with Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The purpose of the programme is accelerate the generation of evidence on more effective ways of conducting and supporting research and innovation. The unit is designing and running experiments that test the effectiveness of research funding processes, overseeing metascience grants programmes, and disseminating metascience findings and insights.
The unit now has experiments underway that test approaches to improving diversity and reducing bias in assessment processes. This includes experiments in anonymising applications for peer review.
The unit’s first grant programme invited applications in areas such as the impacts of different methods of peer review and different modes of funding on the distribution of research funds and career outcomes. We are still wrapping up the funding round, but I’m pretty definite there will be EDI focused grants supported.
Email: suzie.wallace@esrc.ukri.org
EDI in our organisation
Review of our peer review process
We will review and refresh our approach to peer review to reduce bias and increase diversity including:
- guidance for managers in panel meetings
- guidance for panel members
- training for peer reviewers, panel members and staff
- guidance on language used in across peer review
EDI management group
We have created the ESRC EDI management group to provide long-term support for ESRC as a funder and an employer. We will also:
- link ESRC and wider UKRI EDI work
- horizon-scan for potential impacts to EDI
- input into strategies, action plans and other portfolio work
- act as a sounding-board for EDI work
- provide updates to EDI work outside of ESRC, sharing best practice and news