Guide to addressing equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in Partnership Grant applications

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) is committed to increasing equitable and inclusive participation in the research ecosystem, including on research teams, and to promoting the integration of considerations related to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) into research design and practices.

This guide outlines expectations and provides definitions, examples, guiding questions and resources for Partnership Grant applicants to draw on when incorporating EDI considerations in the development of their partnerships and conceptualization of their research projects.^{Footnote 1}

On this page

• Commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion
• EDI in Partnership Grants
• What are equity, diversity and inclusion in research practice and in research design?
• Equity, diversity and inclusion in research practice
• Equity, diversity and inclusion in research design
• Appendix A: Definitions
• Appendix B: Examples of equity, diversity and inclusion in research practice and guiding questions to consider for equity, diversity and inclusion in research design
• Appendix C: Resources

Commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

SSHRC is joined in its commitment to promoting the integration of EDI considerations into research design and practices by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, as outlined in the Tri-Agency Statement on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and the Tri-Agency EDI Action Plan. In addition, SSHRC is committed to supporting and promoting research by and with Indigenous Peoples. The three federal research funding agencies recognize the rights held by the First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada, and initiatives should be developed through distinctions-based approaches, as found in the strategic plan Setting new directions to support Indigenous research and research training in Canada. Achieving a more equitable, diverse and inclusive Canadian research enterprise is essential to creating the excellent, innovative and impactful research necessary to advance knowledge and understanding, and to respond to local, national and global challenges.

SSHRC recognizes that excellence can be achieved only in an environment that fully respects and promotes EDI. Proactive consideration of EDI when forming research teams and in research design and practices contributes to addressing systemic barriers in the research ecosystem and ultimately leads to better research. When people with diverse perspectives and lived experiences participate on research teams as project directors, team members and trainees, it strengthens the quality, rigour and potential impacts of the research activities. Such an approach also helps to counter the underrepresentation or disadvantaging of groups in the research enterprise, including but not limited to women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, racialized individuals and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, as well as individuals who identify as, or belong to, more than one of these groups.

Applying EDI approaches in the development of a research design—including research questions, methods, theoretical frameworks, literature reviews, analyses and interpretations, and knowledge mobilization activities—reveals complexities about the lived experiences and histories of different groups and individuals. These can be relevant, and in some cases, crucial, for conceptualizing research projects and developing solutions to important social challenges.

Equity, diversity and inclusion in Partnership Grants

EDI should be embedded throughout the relevant sections of an application, as applicable. To support this, EDI evaluation criteria have been added as part of the assessment of applications submitted to Partnership Grant competitions. The Partnership Grant description, and related instructions, provide specific information about the application requirements and evaluation process, including the full evaluation criteria.

The introduction of EDI requirements in Partnership Grants is a pilot initiative, and SSHRC welcomes feedback at partnershipgrants@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca on how to improve this guide.

What are equity, diversity and inclusion in research practice and equity, diversity and inclusion in research design?

“Equity,” “diversity” and “inclusion” are defined individually in Appendix A. This guide uses EDI as an overall term that encompasses two approaches: EDI in research practice and EDI in research design.

• EDI in research practice (EDI-RP) involves promoting diversity in team composition and trainee recruitment; fostering an equitable, inclusive and accessible research work environment for team members and trainees; and highlighting diversity and equity in mentoring, training and access to development opportunities.
• EDI in research design (EDI-RD) involves designing research so that it takes EDI into account through approaches such as intersectionality, gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) anti-racist approaches, and disaggregated data collection and analysis that includes consideration of diversity and identity factors such as, but not limited to, age, culture, disability, education, ethnicity, gender expression and gender identity, immigration and newcomer status, Indigenous identity, language, neurodiversity, parental status/responsibility, place of origin, religion, race, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status.

Applications can also involve Indigenous research approaches and methodologies, depending on the nature of the project. When conducting Indigenous research, researchers must commit to respectful relationships with Indigenous Peoples and communities (see the Guidelines for the merit review of Indigenous research and Chapter 9: Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans—TCPS 2 [2022]).

See Appendix A for definitions used throughout and relevant to this guide, Appendix B for examples and guiding questions, and Appendix C for resources.

Equity, diversity and inclusion in research practice

Objectives and expectations

EDI-RP involves:

1. promoting diversity in the composition of teams and recruitment of trainees (students, emerging scholars and highly qualified personnel)
2. fostering an equitable, inclusive and accessible research work environment for team members and trainees
3. considering diversity and equity in mentoring, training and access to development opportunities

1. Team composition and trainee recruitment processes

Implementing proactive measures to promote diversity and inclusion and to address systemic barriers in recruitment of trainees and team members is important in order to ensure that a diversity of experiences and perspectives is represented on the research team, and that the research is as impactful and innovative as possible. A diversity of experiences and perspectives is fundamental to achieving research excellence.

Partnership Grant project directors are expected to consider EDI when planning their team’s composition and trainee recruitment. When recruiting and selecting new trainees and members of the research team, they are expected to ensure they are encouraging a diverse applicant pool and not disadvantaging candidates from underrepresented groups, including but not limited to, members of the four designated groups as defined by the Employment Equity Act (women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities and racialized individuals).

Project directors must identify concrete practices that will be used to ensure that EDI is being intentionally and proactively considered in putting together the team and recruiting team members. It is not sufficient to say that the team is already complete and/or diverse; project directors must clearly demonstrate that EDI was taken into consideration for determining the team composition and will continue to be if the composition of the team changes throughout the duration of the grant. Project directors must also outline a trainee recruitment plan that proactively considers EDI and identifies measures to advertise to and to recruit a diverse pool of trainees in collaboration with partner organizations and team members from within and beyond their institution. Project directors are encouraged to work with their institutions to align with EDI and human resources policies and to identify recruitment challenges and opportunities in their application.

Note about privacy and confidentiality: Project directors must protect the privacy and confidentiality of all team members and trainees. How an individual self-identifies is considered personal and confidential information and should not be disclosed without that person’s consent. Instead of providing information about the composition of the research team in a way that can identify any of the team members’ personal information, project directors should give examples of clear and specific initiatives and measures the team has undertaken to realize its EDI goals.

• Examples of EDI-RP related to team composition and trainee recruitment processes

2. Equitable, inclusive and accessible research work environment for trainees and team members

Fostering an equitable, inclusive and accessible work environment is important so that all team members, including trainees, are fully involved and can advance in their studies and careers (e.g., graduate, find employment in their field). Issues such as microaggressions, conscious bias and unconscious bias, inequitable support, and lack of recognition can affect the ability of trainees and team members to fully contribute to the research and knowledge mobilization activities of the partnership. Inclusion requires consistent and proactive effort by all team members and mentors to ensure that diverse lived experiences and research contributions are valued as assets to the team so that all trainees and team members are supported and involved.

Partnership Grant project directors must consider the type of research environment they will establish as research leaders who are responsible for leading, training and mentoring their team members, and they must demonstrate a strong commitment to the principles of EDI within the application. Project directors must indicate how they will implement concrete practices to ensure that all trainees and team members, in particular individuals who are from underrepresented or disadvantaged groups, are fully involved and supported in the research team. Project directors must provide examples of concrete practices that will be used to ensure that EDI is being intentionally and proactively considered to support the inclusion of all trainees and team members.

Research teams and mentors / academic supervisors are encouraged to take the Bias in Peer Review module (which takes approximately 20 minutes) and the online Women and Gender Equality Canada GBA+ training course (which takes approximately 2 hours) and/or other appropriate EDI training being increasingly offered at institutions.

• Examples of EDI-RP in creating an equitable, inclusive and accessible research work environment for trainees and team members

3. Diversity and equity in mentoring, training and access to development opportunities

Considering diversity and equity in mentoring, training and access to development opportunities within the partnership is important, since access to such opportunities can significantly influence an individual’s research career trajectory. Providing a diversity of role models and mentors and ensuring equitable access to mentors within the partnership can help trainees and early career researchers feel comfortable and increase opportunities for their development. Partnerships can also provide a variety of forms of training and mentoring opportunities within partner organizations from academic, public, private and not-for-profit organizations. Such diversity in mentoring and training opportunities can contribute to building professional skills and making connections with prospective employers.

Ensuring that training and development opportunities are available to all trainees and team members will address potential inequities and contribute to a more inclusive research environment by providing intentional support to maximize benefits for students, postdoctoral researchers and members of the team. Recognizing possible barriers to participation and ensuring that all mentors, academic supervisors and team members understand the principles, practices and benefits of EDI will help address systemic barriers and contribute to a more diverse, inclusive and accessible research ecosystem, thereby increasing the level of research excellence.

Partnership Grant project directors must describe what concrete practices will be taken to ensure that mentoring, training and development opportunities are equitably provided to all trainees and team members. Mentors, academic supervisors and team members should be trained in EDI principles and best practices, as well as in the institutional gender and diversity biases and practices that create or maintain barriers for underrepresented or disadvantaged groups.

• Examples of EDI-RP related to diversity and equity in mentoring, training and access to development opportunities

Equity, diversity and inclusion in research design

Objectives and expectations

With the wide range of topics and approaches to partnership projects in the social sciences and humanities, project directors might not at first consider EDI-RD applicable to their research. In other cases, they could view such considerations as essential. EDI-RD means designing the research partnership with consideration of diversity and identity factors that could be relevant or critical to the development of the partnership and scope of the research project, depending on the focus and topic(s) of the research and related activities.

Considering the use of EDI approaches in the overall design of the research partnership, as applicable—e.g., research questions, methods, theoretical frameworks, literature reviews, analyses and interpretations, and knowledge mobilization activities—is important because it can reveal complexities surrounding the lived experiences and histories of different groups and individuals who could be affected by the findings. The objective of such an approach is to promote rigorous research that considers diversity and identity factors so that the results are impactful and relevant to Canada’s diverse population. Analyses of research findings that are based on a limited, non-diverse sample when compared with the overall population can lead to inaccuracies and have serious implications with respect to how the research is interpreted and used.

Partnership Grant project directors are expected to embed EDI within the design of the research, as appropriate, by using, for example, gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) and complementary approaches such as anti-racist approaches that consider systemic racism and the intersectionality of different identities in the conceptualization of the research (e.g., age, culture, disability, education, ethnicity, gender expression and gender identity, immigration and newcomer status, Indigenous identity, language, neurodiversity, parental status/responsibility, place of origin, religion, race, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status). Project directors must consider the topic and people who could potentially be most impacted (positively or negatively) or excluded by the research and proactively seek to include individuals and partner organizations from such groups or communities in the co-development of the research design to ensure a diversity of perspectives and approaches are considered.

Indigenous research partnerships should be conducted by and with Indigenous Peoples. Project directors are expected to follow the Guidelines for the Merit Review of Indigenous Research and Chapter 9: Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans—TCPS 2 (2022), as appropriate. Appendix C lists Indigenous research resources, including the principles of ownership, control, access and possession (known as OCAP®).

Given the collaborative and multidisciplinary nature of research partnerships in the social sciences and humanities, it is likely that EDI considerations are at least relevant to most (if not all) applications. Project directors must provide a strong rationale if they believe that no aspect of the proposed research design, questions, methods, theoretical framework, literature review, analysis and interpretation, and knowledge mobilization activities should take EDI into consideration.

• Examples of guiding questions to consider while designing your research

Appendix A: Definitions

These definitions have been adapted from Best Practices in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research—A guide for applicants to New Frontiers in Research Fund competitions.

Equity means fairness—with people of all identities being treated fairly, and ensuring that the processes for allocating resources and decision-making do not discriminate on the basis of identity. It involves challenging systemic barriers and biases, and can involve providing different levels of support to individuals so they can fully access or participate in, and benefit from, a program or research project.

To achieve this, all individuals who participate in the research ecosystem must develop a strong understanding of historical and systemic barriers faced by individuals from underrepresented or disadvantaged groups (e.g., women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, racialized individuals, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community) and put in place impactful measures to address these barriers.

Diversity is defined as differences based on factors such as, but not limited to age, culture, disability, education, ethnicity, gender expression and gender identity, immigration and newcomer status, Indigenous identity, language, neurodiversity, parental status/responsibility, place of origin, religion, race, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status.

A diversity of perspectives and lived experiences is fundamental to achieving research and training excellence.

Inclusion is the practice of ensuring that all individuals are valued and respected for their contributions and are supported.

Ensuring that all team members are supported is fundamental to achieving research and training excellence.

Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, expressions and identities of girls, women, boys, men and people with diverse gender identities. It influences how people perceive themselves and each other, how they act and interact, and the distribution of power and resources in society. Gender is often conceptualized as binary (girl/woman and boy/man) but there is considerable diversity in how individuals and groups understand, experience and express it, including gender-fluid, nonbinary, transgender and Two-Spirit. One resource is 2SLGBTQI+ terminology—Glossary and common acronyms, from the 2SLGBTQI+ Secretariat, Department of Canadian Heritage.

Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) is an analytical process used to assess the potential impacts of policies, programs, services and other initiatives (such as research design) on diverse groups of women, men and people with diverse gender identities, taking into account multiple diversity and identity factors. The “plus” in the name highlights that GBA+ goes beyond gender and includes the examination of a range of intersecting diversity and identity factors (such as age, culture, disability, education, ethnicity, gender expression and gender identity, immigration and newcomer status, Indigenous identity, language, neurodiversity, parental status/responsibility, place of origin, religion, race, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status).

Indigenous research (in SSHRC’s definitions of terms used in grant applications)

Intersectionality is a theoretical framework that was developed by professor Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989 in a paper for the University of Chicago Legal Forum, “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics,” to explain how African-American women face overlapping disadvantages and discrimination related to sexism and racism. This approach or lens assists researchers to better understand and address the multiple barriers and disadvantages faced by individuals with intersecting social identities—such as race, gender, sexuality and class. Using an intersectional approach to develop policies and research projects helps to better identify and address systemic barriers. Appendix C contains resources about intersectionality.

Microaggression refers to brief and common verbal, behavioural or institutional actions that play into stereotypes or discrimination against a group of people, often from underrepresented or disadvantaged groups. First coined by Dr. Chester M. Pierce in his 1970s research with Black Americans, research on microaggressions has since expanded to examine the experiences of Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, women, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, and a number of racial, ethnic and religious groups. Taken in isolation, one instance of microaggression can seem like a minor event; however, members of underrepresented or disadvantaged groups often experience the same microaggression repeatedly over time, producing adverse emotional, social, psychological and health impacts, which can also affect their level of productivity and sense of inclusion at work. Examples of microaggressions include implying a member of an underrepresented or disadvantaged group is an “equity hire”; asking where someone is “really from”; downplaying the effects of race, gender, ability, etc., on lived experiences; or implying that someone’s reaction is due to sensitivity, not the nature of the situation they are in.

Systemic barriers are defined as systems, policies or practices that result in some individuals from underrepresented or disadvantaged groups receiving inequitable access to or being excluded from participation within employment, services or programs. These barriers are systemic, meaning that they result from institutional level practices, policies, traditions and/or values that could be “unintended” or “unseen” but that have serious and long-lasting impacts on the lives of those affected (e.g., on their career trajectories).

Systemic barriers within academia and the research ecosystem have been and continue to be documented in Canada. To address these persistent barriers within Canada’s research ecosystem, individuals at all levels (e.g., students, trainees, faculty, researchers, administrators, research funding agencies, policy-makers) must play a sustained role in identifying and mitigating them. SSHRC recognizes that systemic barriers exist and encourages researchers to develop a strong understanding of what the barriers and their consequences are, and to understand how individuals at all levels of the research ecosystem (including researchers) can play a role in addressing them. See Appendix C for resources about systemic barriers in the research ecosystem.

Tokenism is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “the practice of doing something (such as hiring a person who belongs to a minority group) only to prevent criticism and give the appearance that people are being treated fairly.”

Unconscious bias is an implicit attitude, stereotype, motivation or assumption that can occur without one’s knowledge, control or intention. Unconscious bias is a result of one’s life experiences and affects all types of people. Everyone carries implicit or unconscious biases. Examples of unconscious bias include gender bias, cultural bias, race/ethnicity bias, age bias, language bias and institutional bias. Decisions made based on unconscious bias can compound over time to significantly impact the lives and opportunities of others who are affected by the decisions one makes. The following are steps that can be practised to mitigate bias:

• Stereotype replacement: Think about a stereotype that you hold and consciously replace it with accurate information.
• Positive counterstereotype imaging: Picture someone who counters a traditionally stereotyped role.
• Perspective taking: Take the perspective of someone in a stereotyped group.
• Individuation: Gather specific information about an individual to prevent group stereotypes from leading to potentially inaccurate assumptions.

Further strategies can be found in this Unconscious bias training module.

Appendix B: Examples of equity, diversity and inclusion in research practice and guiding questions to consider for equity, diversity and inclusion in research design

Examples of equity, diversity and inclusion in research practice

1. Team composition and recruitment processes for trainees (students, emerging scholars and highly qualified personnel)

• Commit to develop your knowledge of EDI, for example, take training in EDI, antiracism, biases, etc.; read published research on this topic (see Appendix C for some resources) and the work of individuals from underrepresented or disadvantaged groups; read your institution’s EDI action plan; consider whether your institution has signed on to the Dimensions EDI program; speak to the leaders at your institution about their commitment to EDI and what they are doing to address systemic barriers in recruitment.
• Learn about the current state of diversity in your discipline(s), department, institution, and the departments and institutions of your co-applicants who will be potential mentors/supervisors. Carefully consider what role you can play to help identify and mitigate potential barriers within your research, partnership and institution, and ask your institution what its current employment equity targets and gaps are.
• Implement measures to ensure there is a large diversity in the pool of candidates for trainee positions in your partnership (e.g., use nongendered, inclusive and unbiased language in the job posting; develop a strategy to ensure advertisements are publicly posted and widely circulated in ways that reach a diversity of candidates; involve an EDI officer / human resources [HR] representative from the institution in each stage of the recruitment process; work with your HR department / privacy officer to determine if the institution collects self-identification data on the diversity of the applicant pool [as possible and appropriate]; implement preferential hiring of underrepresented or disadvantaged groups in pools of qualified candidates following your institution’s policies).
• Develop a strategy to build a diverse partnership team of co-applicants, collaborators, research personnel and partner organizations committed to EDI principles, and learn more about structural barriers and gender and diversity biases. When composing the partnership team, consider the topic and people potentially most impacted by the research and proactively seek to include individuals and partner organizations from such groups or communities in the co-development of the research. Consider using targeted hiring and recruitment to address potential gaps within the research team and inclusion of individuals from underrepresented or disadvantaged groups (in coordination with your institution’s HR department / provincial human rights commissions where appropriate).
• Create selection committees and a process that prevents potential bias in the recruitment of trainees and new team members so that decision-making is, where possible, made by more than one person to ensure an open and transparent process where potential unconscious bias and conflicts of interest are managed. Ask all members of the selection committee to declare all potential conflicts of interest with the applicants and to complete EDI and bias training.
• Use the same assessment process for all candidates and ensure it is equitable (e.g., tests, interview questions, assessment grids, etc.) and develop the interview questions and assessment grids before receiving the applications with attention to EDI considerations. Your institution might already have EDI questions related to experience supervising students from diverse backgrounds and infusing EDI considerations in the design of past research.
• Establish a policy/procedure to ensure that career leaves and interruptions are fairly considered in recruitment and selection processes.

2. Equitable, inclusive and accessible research work environment for trainees and team members

• Ensure that the inclusion of all trainees and team members is a proactive consideration in how the team is managed on a day-to-day basis and that team leaders are fostering a safe, respectful and supportive work environment through the language they use and their attitudes and actions.
• Put in place a complaints management and conflict resolution process to address any issues that could arise within the partnership, ensure that all trainees and team members are aware of this process, and address any conflicts or issues that arise swiftly and in a sensitive manner, respecting the privacy and confidentiality of those involved.
• Provide EDI training for students, postdoctoral researchers and team members including topics such as inclusive and accessible workplaces, reconciliation, bias-awareness training, intercultural competence, cultural safety, accessibility and accommodations, microaggressions and discrimination, antiracism, and conflict resolution. Develop a good understanding of microaggressions and how they can lead to individuals feeling excluded.
• Establish and maintain regular communication with and among trainees and members of the team so that they can develop a positive sense of community and develop safe spaces to discuss workplace environment concerns that could arise and ways to address them.
• Designate senior member(s) of the research team as EDI champions and ensure they have EDI training.
• Be aware of and promote various stakeholder organizations and community groups that support underrepresented or disadvantaged students and faculty (e.g., student and faculty groups that represent interests of underrepresented or disadvantaged groups; graduate student clubs; interest groups).
• Participate in/organize public lectures by members of underrepresented or disadvantaged groups and on topics of concern to these groups (e.g., Women in Science lectures, Indigenous approaches to research). Plan to have some of the team’s research outputs presented in these forums.
• Identify easily accessible and appropriate resources for team members, such as onsite child care with nursing rooms; accommodations offices within the institution; multifaith prayer and meditation rooms; accommodations for students, faculty and staff fasting during Ramadan; flexibility for taking leave for religious obligations, rituals, celebrations and ceremonies; support services for trainees and team members (such as disability management specialists, student and faculty relations advisers).
• Consider the different forms of support required to facilitate equitable, inclusive and accessible participation in the research (e.g., costs related to EDI training required for the research, translation in different languages, and accessibility-related costs for research team members with disabilities such as accommodations, disability support workers, American Sign Language interpreters).

3. Diversity and equity in mentoring, training and access to development opportunities

• Build a diverse partnership training team of mentors and academic supervisors who are committed to EDI principles and to learning more about structural barriers and gender and diversity biases. Balance the share of mentoring done by each team member so that all are doing their fair share.
• Recognize potential barriers to the participation of students, postdoctoral researchers and early career researchers from underrepresented or disadvantaged groups, and ensure there are opportunities for them to develop papers, network and advance their own research with the assistance of more established researchers.
• Develop a training plan for students and postdoctoral researchers that provides a diversity of training experiences with mentors within the partnership, in different postsecondary institutions in Canada and internationally, and with partner organizations from the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
• Ensure mentors receive unconscious bias training and/or other EDI training as necessary (e.g., on microaggressions).
• Establish procedures/policies for distributing training and development opportunities associated with the grant to trainees and team members (e.g., conferences, publications, networking, internships) and clearly communicate these procedures/policies to all trainees and team members.
• Institute a policy/process with safeguards to ensure individuals with career leaves or family and care responsibilities are not disadvantaged within the decision-making process.
• Keep a record of who within the team has or has not had the opportunity to participate in which activities.
• Consider whether your institution has tools that could be used to help support the work of the mentors.

Equity, diversity and inclusion in research design

Guiding questions to consider while designing your research (as applicable)

• What are the EDI challenges in your field(s) or area(s) of work (e.g., systemic barriers, underrepresented or disadvantaged groups)? What EDI challenges have you experienced in your own past research that will help inform your future research and training?
• How could articulating relevance to diversity increase your study’s importance and applicability to various groups? How will your research questions and the subsequent findings from your study apply to the needs or experiences of particular groups, in specific or comparative perspectives?
• Does your research involve racialized and underrepresented or disadvantaged groups? Who benefits from the research findings? Have you considered which populations might experience significant unintended impacts (positive or negative) as a result of the planned research?
• What is the scope of your proposal (e.g., national, regional, international) and have you considered EDI in specific regional or local contexts/realities?
• Have you included diverse perspectives in the sources consulted and referenced in your application? Are you including, for example, authors from underrepresented or disadvantaged groups, and/or who employ critical theories (e.g., feminist, race, disability) or Indigenous knowledge systems?
• Do the findings from the literature review integrate diversity and implications for different people?
• Have you discussed and agreed on data ownership, control and possession for communities and groups involved in the research? Are such communities and groups included in the partnership and collaborating in co-developing the research objectives?
• Have you considered accessibility needs of participants involved in the research?
• Does your proposal consider the different forms of support required (e.g., financial, logistical, cultural, linguistic) to ensure that the individuals or communities involved in the research are able to meaningfully participate in it?
• Have you included a mechanism to disaggregate your data by diversity-related variables both during data collection and data analysis?
• How could key findings from your research be mobilized so they could be used or applied by specific groups in support of their goals? What forms of knowledge mobilization will be most effective in reaching those who will use and/or could benefit from the findings? Is language taken into consideration in the knowledge mobilization plan, including English and French or other appropriate languages, depending on the individuals or communities involved in the research and the wider audiences you are trying to reach?

Appendix C: Resources

Antiracist approaches

• Crichlow, W. (2015). “Critical race theory: A Strategy for Framing Discussions Around Social Justice and Democratic Education.” Paper presented at Higher Education in Transformation Conference, Dublin.
• Urrieta, L., L. Méndez and E. Rodríguez (2014). “‘A moving target’: a critical race analysis of Latina/o faculty experiences, perspectives, and reflections on the tenure and promotion process.” International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 28(10), 1149-1168.

Disability research approaches

• Dee-Price, B.-J. M., L. Hallahan, D. Nelson Bryen and J. Watson (2020). “Every voice counts: exploring communication accessible research methods.” Disability & Society, 36(2), 240-264.
• Hart, S. M., M. Pascucci, S. Sood and E. M. Barrett (2020). “Value, vulnerability and voice: An integrative review on research assent.” British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 48(1), 154-161.
• Kidney, C. A., and K. E. McDonald (2014), “A toolkit for accessible and respectful engagement in research.” Disability & Society, 29(7), 1013-1030.

Diversity and equity in teams

• Gibbs Jr., K. (September 10, 2014). “Diversity in STEM: What It Is and Why It Matters.” Scientific American.
• Ginther, D. K., W. T. Schaffer, J. Schnell, B. Masimore, F. Liu, L. L. Haak and R. Kington (2011). “Race, Ethnicity, and NIH Research Awards.” Science, 333(6045), 1015-1019.
• Nielsen, M.W., S. Alegria, L. Börjeson, H. Etzkowitz, H. J. Falk-Krzesinski, A. Joshi, E. Leahey, L. Smith-Doerr, A., Williams Woolley and L. Schiebinger (2017). “Gender diversity leads to better science.” PNAS, 114(8): 1740-42.
• Westcoast Women in Engineering, Science & Technology (2014). The Business Case for Gender Diversity.

Equity, diversity and inclusion

• Barrows, A. S., M. A. Sukhai and I. R. Coe (2021). “So, you want to host an inclusive and accessible conference?” FACETS, 6(1), 131-138.
• Canada. Dimensions: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Canada.
• Canada Research Chairs. Guidelines for Assessing the Productivity of Nominees.
• Canadian Professional Association for Transgender Health (CPATH) (August 2019). CPATH Ethical Guidelines (PDF, 965 KB).
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. NSERC guide on integrating equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in research.
• New Frontiers in Research Fund. Best Practices in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research.
• Universities Canada. Equity, diversity and inclusion.

Excellence, innovation and diversity

• Hewlett, S. A., M. Marshall and L. Sherbin (December 2013). “How Diversity Can Drive Innovation.” Harvard Business Review.
• Smith, M., D. Bérubé and M. L. Boudreau (August 28, 2019). “Diversity is indispensable to excellence in research.” Folio (University of Alberta).

Gender-based analysis plus

• Women and Gender Equality Canada. GBA+: Beyond Sex and Gender.
• Women and Gender Equality Canada. Gender-based Analysis Plus research guide.
• Women and Gender Equality Canada. Introduction to GBA+.
• Women and Gender Equality Canada. Introduction to GBA+: Glossary.
• Women and Gender Equality Canada. What is Gender-based Analysis Plus.

Indigenous research

• Canada (2022). “Chapter 9: Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada.” Tri-Council Policy Statement 2: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans.
• First Nations Information Governance Centre. The First Nations Principles of Ownership, Control, Access and Possession (OCAP®).
• Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. National Inuit Strategy on Research.
• National Aboriginal Health Organization. Principles of Ethical Métis Research.
• SSHRC. Definition of Indigenous research.
• SSHRC. Guidelines for the Merit Review of Indigenous Research.
• SSHRC. Indigenous Research Statement of Principles.
• Wilkinson, M., M. Dumontier, I. Aalbersberg, et al. (2016). “The FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship.” Scientific Data, 3 (160018).

Intersectionality

• Bilge, S. (2009). “Théorisations féministes de l’intersectionnalité.” Diogène, 2009/1 (n° 225), 70-88 (available only in French).
• Bilge, S. (2014). “Intersectionality undone.” Du Bois Review Social Science Research on Race, 10(02), 405-424.
• Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (2006). Intersectional Feminist Frameworks: A Primer.
• Corbeil, C., and I. Marchand (2006). “L’approche intersectionnelle : origines, fondements théoriques et apport à l’intervention féministe. Défis et enjeux pour l’intervention auprès des femmes marginalisées,” Acte de colloque, Relais-femmes (in French).
• Crenshaw, K. (1989). “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics.” University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), 139-167.
• DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada (2020). Girls without Barriers: An intersectional feminist analysis of girls and young women with disabilities in Canada.
  Hankivsky, O. (2014). Intersectionality 101. Institute for Intersectionality Research and Policy, Simon Fraser University.
• Rouhani, S. (2014). Intersectionality-informed Quantitative Research: A Primer. Institute for Intersectionality Research and Policy, Simon Fraser University.
• Women’s College Hospital (2020). Intersectionality as a Research Lens—A Pathway to Better Science / Une lentille de recherche intersectionelle – Vers une meilleure science.

Systemic barriers in the research ecosystem

• Canadian Association of University Teachers (2018). Underrepresented and Underpaid: Diversity & Equity Among Canada’s Postsecondary Education Teachers.
• Council of Canadian Academies (2012). Strengthening Canada’s Research Capacity: The Gender Dimension.
• Henry, F., E. Dua, C. E. James, A. Kobayashi, P. Li, H. Ramos and M. S. Smith (2017). The Equity Myth: Racialization and Indigeneity at Canadian Universities. UBC Press.
• Witteman, H. O., M. Hendricks, S. Straus and C. Tannenbaum (2019). “Are gender gaps due to evaluations of the applicant or the science? A natural experiment at a national funding agency.” Lancet, 393: 531-40.

Unconscious bias

• Canada Research Chairs. Unconscious bias online training module.
• Eberhardt, J. (2019). Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do. Penguin Random House.
• Moss-Racusin, C. A., J. van der Toorn, J. F. Dovidio, V. L. Brescoll, M. J. Graham and J. Handelsman (2016). “A ‘Scientific Diversity’ Intervention to Reduce Gender Bias in a Sample of Life Scientists.” CBE Life Sciences Education, 15(3).
• Williams, M. T. (2021). “Racial Microaggressions: Critical Questions, State of the Science, and New Directions.” Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2021(16), 880-885.