Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Research Design
A practical guide on integrating equality, diversity and inclusion into research applications.
EDI Expectations in Research: Introduction
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) should be a central consideration when planning any research. Funders now expect EDI best practice to be embedded throughout proposals. A good idea may fail to get funded if EDI is not adequately addressed, and more importantly embedding EDI will ensure that your research is better, more applicable, and more robust.
Best practice can also go beyond protected characteristics, e.g. consideration of socio-economic status and deprivation and is continuing to evolve (e.g., consideration of impacts of menopause becoming more prevalent). When EDI is overlooked in STEM research, significant biases can be discovered in real world applications.
- The research we produce must be broadly applicable and socially responsible.
- Where research includes data from or about people, then ensuring EDI within that data can enable better and more representative research outcomes.
- Research which does not consider EDI may serve to further embed existing biases and differential outcomes
EDI is becoming a baseline expectation of funders in grant applications, and we are seeing more and more funding calls requiring a discussion about EDI in one, many or all areas of the research lifecycle:
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In research design and participation: |
In engagement and public participation: |
In your teams, labs and departments: |
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EDI embedding in research design Ensuring diverse human participants in research Ensuring inclusivity in research activity and events |
Diversifying PPIE activities and engaging underrepresented and under-served communities
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Creating an inclusive and accessible work environment Ensuring equitable opportunity, progression and training for team members Inclusive leadership |
Step-by-Step Guide
Before you apply
Familiarise yourself with the latest EDI guidelines from the funder
- Many funders will have specific requirements in the research call, and have specific guidance published with the rest of the applicant information. If so, refer to this and ensure you meet all requirements in your research design.
- If the funder does not provide any specific requirement beyond a commitment to EDI, you may wish to review the funders EDI action plan, and organise your EDI consideration to meet one or more of their specific inclusivity goals. For example, if your funder is MRC, you may plan EDI activity to meet one of the MRC's 4 priority areas: Eg: improve the recruitment, retention, progression, development, and experience of staff from under-represented groups employed by MRC.
Familiarise yourself with your departments' EDI action plan or Athena Swan, Culture, or EDI action plan
- What activity is happening to support an inclusive environment in your department, and can you get involved to mainstream EDI and good research culture in your practise and work?
Consider your role as an inclusive leader
- Are there activities you can engage in to improve the research culture of your group? The Research Culture team have prepared a Research Culture toolkit on good inclusive research culture which may be of use, and you may consider specific activity like co-creating a Lab Handbook.
Identify the EDI impacts in your area of research
- Consider how you can identify and consider equity and inclusion issues within your field of research, or any specific health inequalities that impact your area of research.
- In addition, you can use the INCLUDE framework improve inclusion of under-served groups in clinical research if appropriate.
Planning and writing your application
Consider how you can integrate EDI into the research design of your application, using the NIHR EDI Toolkit you can consider EDI in the following spaces:
Research question and design:
- Equality Impact Assessment: Evaluate whether your research question and design might inadvertently perpetuate or exacerbate existing health inequalities.
- Diverse Perspectives: Consider how your research question incorporates diverse perspectives and lived experiences, ensuring it addresses the needs of various populations.
- Historical Context: Review the historical context of your field to understand how past research practices might have excluded or marginalized certain groups.
Participant recruitment and experience:
- Diverse and Inclusive Samples: Strive for diverse and representative samples by actively recruiting participants from underrepresented or marginalized populations.
- Accessibility: Ensure that recruitment materials and procedures are accessible to individuals with disabilities and those with varying levels of literacy.
- Cultural Sensitivity: Be mindful of cultural nuances and sensitivities when engaging with diverse communities.
- Find more detail about PPIE and support therein on our PPIE webpages, and the INCLUDE project in the toolkit section below.
Data collection, analysis and presentation:
- Sex and Gender Considerations: Account for sex and gender differences in your data collection and analysis, as these factors can significantly impact research outcomes. See UKRI Sex in Experimental Design guide in toolkit section below
- If using human subjects consider how you will ensure these are representative of the population as a whole – see MRC guidelines, with relevance to other disciplines
- Disaggregated Data: Analyse data by relevant demographic characteristics to identify potential disparities in outcomes.
- Data Interpretation: Be cautious about generalizing findings to all populations and acknowledge any limitations related to your sample.
Dissemination and publication:
- Targeted Communication: Tailor your communication strategies to reach diverse audiences and ensure that research findings are accessible and relevant to all stakeholders. More guidance in the INCLUDE toolkit.
- Equitable Access: Promote equitable access to research findings by disseminating them through various channels and in multiple languages.
Research team and environment:
- Diverse Teams: Recruit and support a diverse research team that reflects the communities you are studying.
- Inclusive Research Environment: Create a supportive and inclusive research environment where all team members feel valued and respected. See also Research Culture toolkit
- Training and Development: Provide training opportunities for research staff on EDI principles and cultural competency.
- Ethical Considerations: Patient and Public Involvement: Involve patients and the public in all stages of the research process, from developing research questions to interpreting findings. See also the guidance on our PPIE webpages
- Transparency and Accountability: Be transparent about your EDI practices and be accountable for addressing any identified disparities.
- Community Engagement: Build strong relationships with the communities you are studying and ensure that research is conducted in a culturally sensitive and ethical manner.
Reviewing your application
Custom GPT for reviewing EDI Integration in your research application
Got a draft? Use our GPT to diagnose your application’s integration of EDI
Use the MSD EDI in Grant Applications GPT to diagnose your grant applications EDI content, and suggest where it can be improved.
Simply upload your draft application and any guidance into the GPT and the bot will review your application and provide a report on how you can improve EDI integration using, amongst other trusted guidance the NIHR EDI in Research Design Toolkit.
Access the MSD EDI in Grant Applications GPT
Important: Please ensure you have a GPT EDU account before using this tool, as this ensures the privacy of your uploaded material. If you use a free or personal GPT account OpenAI will use all data uploaded to build future bot iterations and your data may not remain private.
The term on EDU accounts are such that it is akin to saving your document on your OneDrive account in terms of data privacy. You can request an account here
Please note that this tool has been developed to identify areas where you can improve your application, not to write or develop these areas for you. If you have any questions about use of Generative AI in Research please refer to the University Policy for using Generative AI in Research
Reports, toolkits and trusted guidance
Toolkits and guides to help you frame your EDI activity, and support you to identify where you can improve your understanding of and integration of equality considerations at every stage of research design, completion and publication.
Please note, these links lead outside the university's website and the resources may not be in fully accessible format.
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Title and link |
What it covers |
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The resource has been developed to support researchers to better understand how to embed EDI in research design and to meet the NIHR’s EDI requirements. This is a first stop one size fits all guide with practical advice, a step by step approach including excellent case studies |
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EDI expectations guide aims to help the engineering and physical sciences community to identify and address the specific EDI barriers in their own environment by taking into account differences such as location, discipline, role, and career stage. |
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Improving inclusion of under-served groups in clinical research: Guidance from INCLUDE project |
This guidance summarises what an under-served group is, a roadmap suggesting intervention points to improve inclusion, examples of under-served groups and barriers to inclusion. It then provides a suggested framework of questions to guide the deliberations of funders, researchers and delivery teams as they design and assess health and care research proposals, and ends with examples of good practice and other resources to guide teams seeking to engage with, and improve inclusion of, under-served groups in health and care research. |
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Equity, diversity and inclusion are foundational research skills |
Failure to consider the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion in biomedical and human behaviour research harms patients, trainees and scientists. On the basis of experience and evidence, we make actionable, specific recommendations on how equity, diversity and inclusion can be considered at each step of a research project. |
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MRC requires the researchers we fund to embed diversity and inclusion into the design of any research involving humans (including their samples and data) and animals. Diversity and inclusion should also be considered when developing public involvement and engagement (PIE) activities to support research. This guide supports researchers to do so. |
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Guidance and policy on UKRI applications on how to consider sex in experimental research design for grant applications. |
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An evaluation framework to assess whether an in vivo research proposal follows the sex-inclusive research philosophy. |
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Covers research and innovation activities outside the UK, highlighting the need to recognise and address the possible impact of contextual, societal and cultural differences on the ethical conduct of those activities. |
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With this practice library, we hope we can add to existing conversations around equitable funding and offer insights to those who are on this journey too. |
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Wellcome have created a library of resources to address inequities in funding. The Equitable Funding Practice Library brings together ideas that can be used to solve common challenges in reducing and eliminating inequity in funded research programmes. This resource can be used as a funder, grantee, applicant, advocate, or anyone else working to make funding outcomes more equitable. |
Specific EDI expectations of MSD top 10 funders
Wellcome Trust
Wellcome Trust emphasizes EDI in its funding processes. Applicants are expected to:
- Demonstrate how they will promote EDI within their research environment.
- Ensure inclusive practices in research design and participant involvement.
- Provide evidence of institutional support for EDI initiatives.
View the Wellcome Trust’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion policy
Medical Research Council (MRC)
As part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the MRC requires applicants to:
- Address EDI considerations in their research proposals.
- Outline strategies to promote diversity within research teams.
- Ensure that research designs are inclusive and consider diverse populations.
View the UKRI’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion webpages
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
NIHR has specific EDI requirements for funding applications, including:
- Demonstrating how the research will be inclusive of diverse populations.
- Engaging with communities to ensure research relevance and accessibility.
- Utilizing the NIHR EDI Toolkit to embed EDI in research design.
View the NIHR’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy webpages
Boehringer Ingelheim
Boehringer Ingelheim's grant application process does not explicitly detail EDI requirements. However, applicants are encouraged to ensure that their proposals align with ethical standards and promote equitable practices.
Cancer Research UK (CRUK)
CRUK is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive research community. Applicants are expected to:
- Consider EDI in their research proposals.
- Demonstrate how their research will address health disparities.
- Engage with underrepresented groups in research design and participation.
Further information is provided in the CRUK EDI in research action plan.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
While specific EDI requirements for grant applications are not detailed, DHSC collaborates with NHS England on the EDI Improvement Plan, aiming to:
- Address discrimination and promote inclusive practices in health and social care.
- Encourage organizations to implement EDI strategies within their operations.
Applicants should align their proposals with these broader EDI objectives.
Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)
CEPI's calls for proposals emphasize equitable access and inclusion. Applicants are required to:
- Demonstrate how their projects will ensure equitable access to vaccines and treatments.
- Engage with diverse populations to address global health disparities.
- Incorporate EDI considerations into their research methodologies.
Detailed requirements are provided in their call for proposals documentation.
European Commission
The European Commission integrates EDI into its research and innovation strategies. Applicants are expected to:
- Include EDI considerations in their research proposals.
- Promote gender equality and diversity within research teams.
- Ensure that research outcomes benefit diverse populations.
Guidance is available through the European Commission website and on their funding and tenders portal.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
While specific EDI requirements may vary by program, the foundation encourages applicants to:
- Address equity and inclusion in their project designs.
- Engage with underrepresented communities to ensure research relevance.
- Demonstrate how their work will reduce health and social disparities.
Applicants should refer to individual grant opportunities for detailed EDI expectations.
British Heart Foundation (BHF)
BHF's grant application process includes considerations for EDI. Applicants are encouraged to:
- Ensure diversity within research teams.
- Design studies that are inclusive of diverse populations.
- Address health inequalities in cardiovascular research.
Further details are provided in their grant application guidelines.