Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca
Common menu bar links
Equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in your Applied Research and Technology Partnerships (ARTP) grant application1
In your application, you must explain how 
equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) considerations are integrated into the following criteria, respectively:
- 2. Ability of the college: Ability of the college: Identification of at least one concrete practice that will be implemented to ensure that EDI is being intentionally and proactively considered during the identification, selection, recruitment, and/or integration of research personnel into the research team
- 4. Training: identification of a minimum of one concrete practice that will be implemented to promote the participation of a diverse group of students and other trainees, including those from under-represented groups, as well as to promote an equitable, inclusive and accessible training environment
You must give examples of specific initiatives and measures that you have or will put in place to support EDI in the composition of your research team and training plan, instead of simply stating that your institution’s EDI policy will be followed or that the team is already complete and/or diverse. For additional guidance, see the questions below. They are provided as examples only, with the goal of helping applicants consider what types of best practices could be implemented to support EDI. Applicants do not need to answer any, nor each, of the questions in their application.
An important note about privacy and confidentiality: Applicants must protect the privacy and confidentiality of all team members, including students and trainees. How an individual self-identifies (in terms of belonging to one or more underrepresented groups) is considered personal and confidential information. Do not request that past, current or potential team members share individual self-identification data with you, and do not make assumptions regarding self-identification. Please note that team members’ self-identification information or team demographics are not necessarily evidence of an equitable, inclusive and accessible environment. Do not provide personal information on team members or information about the composition of your research team in a way that can identify any of your team members.
The actions that are implemented to support EDI should be guided by the following overarching objectives:
- Remove systemic barriers to the recruitment and full participation of individuals from underrepresented groups, including but not limited to women, Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), persons with disabilities, members of visible minority/racialized groups and members of LGBTQ2+ communities
- Increase diversity in the composition of teams
- Integrate diversity and equity in mentoring, training and access to development opportunities
- Foster the equitable, inclusive and accessible research environment needed to enhance excellence in research and training
Questions for reflection to understand challenges/opportunities
- Are the opportunities within the team communicated to all potential candidates in an open and transparent way (i.e., made publicly available)?
- When selecting trainees and other team members, how will unconscious bias2 be mitigated in the selection process (e.g., when shortlisting CVs, interviewing candidates, etc.)?
- What types of EDI training should the team receive, based on the current level of EDI competencies of team members and the particular context of the team’s work environment?
- If your institution has an EDI action plan or EDI commitments and initiatives within its strategic plan, how could the team build on this to foster an equitable, diverse and inclusive research environment?
- What steps will be taken to ensure that individuals with family, care, cultural or community responsibilities are supported and not disadvantaged within the team?
- What steps will be taken to ensure that team members feel comfortable speaking to diverse ways of knowing, methods and/or experiences (e.g., Indigenous ways of knowing and being)?
- What processes are in place to ensure that mentorship responsibilities as well as training, mentorship and development opportunities associated with the grant are distributed equitably and communicated clearly to team members?
Additional resources
For additional guidance on how to consider EDI in the composition of the research team and training program, applicants are invited to consult the following resources:
- Sections on team composition and recruitment, training and development opportunities, and inclusion in the New Frontiers in Research Fund guide on best practices in EDI in research
- Section on “Diversity and equity in research teams” (pp. 3–5) in
NSERC’s Guide for applicants: Considering EDI in your application - Appendix B of SSHRC’s Guide to addressing Equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in partnership grants applications
1This document has been developed to assist applicants to the ARTP funding opportunity. It builds upon the Best practices in equity, diversity and inclusion in research guide, developed for the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) competitions, as well as on EDI resources and initiatives developed by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, NSERC, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat.
2For a definition of “unconscious bias” and other terms used in this document, please consult Appendix A
in the “Best practices in equity, diversity and inclusion in research” guide. For additional information on unconscious biases, applicants are encouraged to take the tri-agency Unconscious bias in peer review module, which takes approximately 20 minutes.