EPSRC aims to support a diverse and inclusive research environment where there is equal access to opportunities. Our objective is to embed equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) in all that we do, ensuring that the activities we support and the research that we fund drives change in our community, and supports a system that is inclusive for everyone. We are working towards achieving an equal, diverse and inclusive environment where all individuals are able to thrive by adapting and monitoring our current processes and trialing new and innovative approaches.
ED&I is one of the priorities in our delivery plan. It sets out our ambition to create a research environment which fully supports equality, diversity and inclusion for all, short term and long term aims.
We are working together as part of UKRI to better understand and address the diversity challenges that we face. To find out more about UKRI's commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, please visit the equality, diversity and inclusion page on the UKRI website.
Underrepresentation of researchers from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds in the engineering and physical sciences (EPS) and, in particular, in our grant and doctoral training portfolio and in our advisory and governance groups, is one of our major equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) challenges.
We are proud of the appointed Turing AI Acceleration Fellows announced in November, but recognise we have more to do on representation.
The long term strength of the UK research base depends on harnessing all the available talent. EPSRC expects that equality, diversity and inclusion is embedded at all levels and in all aspects of research practice and funding policy.
Underrepresentation of women in the engineering and physical sciences remains one of our largest EDI challenges with gender diversity in our large grant portfolio an area of particular concern. We have published our findings in a report alongside a community survey.
EPSRC has been working to further equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) in engineering and physical sciences research through improving the gender diversity in our advisory boards, improving our peer review process to ensure fairness, working in partnership with key stakeholders and delivering against the UKRI action plan.
As a funder of research, peer review is an integral part of our organisation. We are continually evolving the peer review process to ensure fairness and have made a number of changes to improve access to funding opportunities.
We use Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) as an evidence-based approach to help ensure our policies, practices, events and decision-making processes are fair and do not present barriers to participation.
We annually publish diversity data on applications, awards and success rate along with UKRI partner organisations. In addition EPSRC publishes diversity data on our peer review process including the Peer Review College, reviewers and panel members.
To accelerate the pace of culture change and challenge current thinking, we are working with partners through our innovative Inclusion Matters projects. These ambitious and inspiring projects aim to support change across the sector.
For equality, diversity and inclusion related enquiries please contact:
In the following table, contact information relevant to the page. The first column is for visual reference only. Data is in the right column.
| Name: | Inclusion Matters |
