EDI initiatives funded in 2023 (round 1)
We were delighted to award £68,780 in funding in 2023 to support five EDI initiatives and interventions put forward by the Academy’s member social science societies, as part of our collaborative EDI Project in partnership with our member societies and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). After careful consideration, an independent external assessment panel awarded funding to the Royal Statistical Society, the Royal Economic Society, the Royal Town Planning Institute, the Leisure Studies Association and the British Psychological Society and the British Educational Research Association (joint bid).
You can find out more about these initiatives and interventions below.
The British Psychological Society (BPS) and the British Educational Research Association (BERA)
The British Psychological Society (BPS) and the British Educational Research Association (BERA) received funding to pilot a teaching resource for KS3 and KS4 secondary school students on the history of IQ testing and psychology’s historic contribution to enabling a discriminatory education system in the UK. The collaborative approach taken by both BPS and BERA ensured an expert panel of historians, psychologists and educational experts provided valuable insights in developing the resource.
To find out more, click on the links below:
‘We want to use the archive to constructively address this harmful part of UK psychology’s history’
Read this news article from February 2025, in which BPS Archive Manager Sophie O’Reilly discusses the work she was involved in to produce the resource for secondary school students on the history of IQ testing in the UK education system.
EDI Project Knowledge Sharing and Learning: Q&A with BPS
Click this link to access a Q&A with the BPS, in which they detail the lessons learnt through the process of creating and delivering the pilot a teaching resource for KS3 and KS4 secondary school students on the history of IQ testing and psychology’s historic contribution to enabling a discriminatory education system in the UK . Through this Q&A, BPS provide valuable insights and learning for other social science societies who may be interested in delivering similar EDI interventions in schools.
“We are so grateful to receive this funding that has enabled us to bring an overlooked part of UK history to life for secondary students. We have created an engaging teaching resource, with accompanying intelligence tests from our archive, and teachers and students have given us great feedback. Students have loved learning about a more challenging aspect of our collective history and teachers have appreciated being supported to teach it in a constructive way. Off the back of this pilot, we hope to continue to create resources for varying audiences to bring historically excluded stories to light.”
Sophie O’Reilly Archive Manager, BPS
Leisure Studies Association (LSA)
Funding was awarded to the Leisure Studies Association (LSA) to support the research, co-design and initial implementation of a new EDI strategy. With the guidance and expertise of an EDI specialist, the LSA involved their membership in the creation of this strategy through considered communication, engagement opportunities, and participation in decision-making processes. The resulting outcomes, including the strategy development and implementation processes, are to be shared with other learned and membership societies as a model of good practice.
To find out more, click on the links below:
LSA story: co-creating an EDI project knowledge sharing, narrated PowerPoint
Download this narrated knowledge sharing PowerPoint from the LSA, which details the lessons learnt through the process of the research, co-design and initial implementation of a new EDI strategy. Working with an EDI specialist, the LSA involved their membership in the creation of this strategy through considered communication, engagement opportunities, and participation in decision-making processes.
“This funding has enabled and focused attention on how equity, diversity and inclusivity are defined and experienced by our membership. Time has been given and stories have been shared. This generosity and the desire for change has enabled the co-creation of new ways of being for the association, articulated in a policy and plan, but realised by our community.”
Clare Hearn Executive Committee, LSA
Royal Economic Society (RES)
The Royal Economic Society (RES) received funding to support the need for greater diversity and inclusion within economics. The funding was for their proposed portfolio of four EDI initiatives: a Women’s Committee Mentoring programme; a Consciously Inclusive Mentoring training; a Peer Learning Sets programme; and an Active Bystander programme. As part of this portfolio of work, the RES will provide training and ‘toolkits’ for each programme, which can be utilised in other social science disciplines, or across other protected characteristics.
To find out more, click on the links below:
The RES Mentoring Programme, run by the Women’s Committee, provides early career academic women the opportunity to be part of a mentoring programme. This includes those on both research and education tracks. The mentoring programme is part of the EDI grant funded work.
Consciously Inclusive Mentoring
As part of their Diversity Strategy, RES has developed the “Consciously Inclusive Mentoring” short programme. The goal of this programme is to provide mentors with training on inclusive mentoring practices, understanding how conscious and/or unconscious biases affect the mentor-mentee relationship. The Consciously Inclusive Mentoring programme is part of the EDI grant funded work.
Be the Change: Active Bystander Skills for Economists
The RES Active Bystander programme includes an annual online training session, alongside special sessions at their Annual Conference and a suite of resources to equip economists to embed a culture of ‘active bystanding’ in their organisations. Resources include a video, ‘Be the Change’, and presentation materials. The active bystander programme is part of the EDI grant funded work.
UK WEN: Peer Learning Sets (PLS)
RES Peer Learning Sets fall within the UK Women in Economics Network ‘Action’ Initiative. The aim of the ‘action’ initiative is to drive positive change through peer-learning and best practice sharing amongst women. The objective is for peer groups to discuss and implement practical solutions to the shared issue, thus bringing about personal, professional and/or cultural change in economics within and across institutions/sectors. The Peer Learning Sets are part of the EDI grant funded work.
“As part of this project, we are delivering knowledge-sharing webinars to other learned societies and have been privileged to bring societies together around a common EDI challenge, sharing our journey and learning. These have provided an excellent opportunity for exchange of ideas and a boost to motivate us all on why this work is important to improve diversity in our disciplines. One participant said, “Thank you, colleagues, for sharing these very helpful resources” and another has added one of our video resources to their online library. We are very grateful to the AcSS and ESRC in funding this important work in breaking down barriers and supporting underrepresented groups.”
Marie-Luiza de Menezes Member Operations Director and Staff Strategic Lead for EDI, RES
Royal Statistical Society (RSS)
The Royal Statistical Society (RSS) received funding to support a Future Leaders project: a cohort of new members from minority ethnic groups to serve as role models, mentors, and spokespersons for RSS and the statistics and data science professions. The funded cohort have been given access to: (1) training opportunities across the RSS to develop professional skills; (2) invited speaking slots at the RSS Annual Conference; (3) the opportunity to receive media communications training through their Statistical Ambassadors programme. Moreover, this cohort have: (1) developed a special interest group for mentoring and supporting practitioners from underrepresented/underserved groups; (2) volunteered as mentors through the RSS mentoring platform; (3) advised and contributed to the development of RSS’ training and events programmes and shared their experiences through RSS’ publications portfolio.
To find out more, click on the links below:
RSS Future Leaders programme kicks off with a meet and greet in London
Read this news article from May, in which RSS discuss kicking off the first Future Leaders programme with a meeting in London.
Future leaders programme – How to apply for professional accreditation
Watch this YouTube from October 2024, in which RSS’ Head of Standards & Corporate Relations, Ricky McGowen, and Bridget Azubuike, one of the RSS Future Leaders, provide guidance on how to apply for professional accreditation.
Event report: RSS contributes to the International Day of Women in Statistics and Data Science
Read this news report from October 2024, in which RSS discuss their involvement in the Caucus for Women in Statistics and Data Science third edition of the International Day of Women in Statistics and Data Science (IDWSDS2024), including the involvement of Edith Milanzi and Selina So, two of RSS’ Future Leaders representatives.
Follow this link to the Future Leaders webpage, through which you can keep up with what the Future Leaders have been up to.
Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)
The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and their partners received funding to develop a robust, evidence-based understanding of the disparity between the diversity of students that start on institute-accredited courses and those who go on to work in roles requiring institute-accredited qualifications. The initiative builds on existing good practice to improve the collective understanding of retention rates and awarding gaps in education. As part of this, RTPI have committed to sharing progress and learnings from developing and delivering the interventions to Higher Education partners, employers and others within the social sciences and beyond to further help address the awarding gap.
To find out more, click on the links below:
Here you can access the report outlining the findings of this project, which utilised an evidence review and qualitative focus groups to look at: the disparities in academic achievement in higher education for diverse student populations, their underlying factors; the experience of diverse students on built environment courses at higher education institutions; and the key factors in the transition from study to employment for people with diverse characteristics.
Transitioning from education to industry: what are the challenges?
In this podcast, Machel Bogues from RTPI heads up a panel with Matthew Fedigan FRICS, Sybil Taunton and Lucy Day. With a breadth of experience and backgrounds, the guests weigh in on the findings of the project and the barriers that need breaking for new, diverse talent to transition from education into the built environment profession as a whole.