UKRI/British Academy – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Caucus

Funding available to lead on providing high quality research evidence on equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) that informs policy and practice in the research and innovation system.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the British Academy jointly invite applications for an interdisciplinary team to establish and lead an equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) caucus.

The caucus, which is made up of practitioners and researchers from a broad range of disciplines and sectors, will be responsible for providing high quality research evidence on EDI that informs policy and practice in the research and innovation system.

The objectives of the EDI caucus are as follows:

• Provide insights from research evidence on EDI that informs and shapes the work of the funders, and the broader research and innovation sector
• Address priority evidence gaps by commissioning and undertaking new research and by supporting UKRI and the British Academy in testing and evaluating new EDI-related initiatives
• Promote, coordinate and facilitate interdisciplinary approaches to research on EDI.

The leadership team will be expected to establish the caucus by recruiting an interdisciplinary network of practitioners and researchers on EDI and delivering a programme of work following an initial three-month co-design phase with UKRI and the British Academy.

Proposals are invited for an interdisciplinary research team that would:

• Recruit a network of practitioners and researchers from a broad range of disciplines and sectors to support evidence needs and inform policy and practice within the research and innovation system. This will involve designing and managing a process through which researchers and practitioners will apply to be part of the caucus and enable members to play an active role in shaping the programme of work
• Deliver a programme of activities focused on synthesising existing evidence on the effectiveness of different EDI practices. This could include translating evidence into actionable guidance for decision makers and practitioners in the research and innovation system, and undertaking new research to address priority evidence gaps
• Administer a flexible commissioning fund to support new research projects that are aligned with the aims of the caucus. This could include exploring new data opportunities, trialling and evaluating new practices, and researching lived experience
• Support UKRI and the British Academy by providing rapid evidence briefings and advising on the testing and rigorous evaluation of new EDI initiatives
• Inform EDI policies and practice in the wider research and innovation system (for example, higher education institutions, the business sector, and government partners) through proactive engagement.