Unlocking EDI across the NICER programme Spotlight Report

CE HUB 2025

Executive Summary

This report brings together the activities, findings and conclusions of the ‘Unlocking EDI in the NICER programme’ project conducted between May and November 2024 on behalf of the NICER programme by Oliver Fisher and Peter Craigon from the University of Nottingham.

The objectives of this project were to facilitate a selfassessment of EDI activities across the NICER centres to identify Strengths, Areas for improvement and Lessons Learned about EDI for similar projects in the future.

It conducted two main activities, an online workshop using the Equality Diversity and Inclusion cards and a survey adapted from the EDI maturity survey developed by the University of Nottingham, with participants from the centres and hub that make up the NICER programme.

The EDI cards activity identified areas under their direct control, particularly the diverse nature of the centres as a particular strength whereas they identified engaging externally to the centre as an area for improvement seeking contextual guidance to help this wider engagement.

The findings from the survey indicated again that the activities in the control of the centres for example the development, working environment, communication and events was a strength with varied example evidence provided. More challenging were elements when responsibility for EDI considerations crossed over with that of the institutions comprising the programme for example in training, infrastructure or use of data.

When categorised and analysed through the framework of the EPSRC’s EDI expectations, the centres provided evidence and examples that spoke to the vast majority of the expectations, indicating how the combination of varied contextual activities of the centres was already addressing EDI in a varied appropriate way providing examples of how it was embedded in the activities of the centres both in their work and in terms of the consideration of the EDI implications of their research.

Lessons learned from this process showed how EDI was already being addressed in an embedded way in day-to-day activities and research with benefit to the research resulting from an integrated approach. Tensions were identified from this work between the desire for a framework of guidance but not have this contribute to a tick box exercise, the desire for EDI to be led by an individual but also be everyone’s responsibility and the tension between project and institutional EDI for example. Improving how to engage more widely outside the centres was an area for improvement but with potential significant benefits to the research. The complexity of EDI raises the need for contextual guidance and awareness depending on the centres, research and organisations involved.

In conclusion this self- assessment process demonstrated how EDI has been considered and enacted upon across the NICER programme in an integrated way to the benefit of the research. This can be a source of confidence and examples of practice for the future of connected projects and more widely. Improving EDI and learning from this process needs to be considered in a reflexive contextual way, with awareness of the tensions at play. Through this self- assessment, the project can help contribute to an ongoing reflexive integration of EDI to the benefit of research and those involved with it not becoming a tick box exercise of criteria to meet.