EDI within research groups and networking communities
Prioritising EDI within research groups and networking communities is important for creating an inclusive and fair research network community, helping to enrich the research field by encouraging a wide variety of voices and lived experience.
On this page you can find advice, guidance and good practice examples related to EDI and research groups and networking communities, including information on EDI projects within the community and examples of EDI and special interest groups.
This month's recommended research groups and networking resource
The Sexualities & Gender SIG provides a forum to critically engage with how gender and sexuality research matters in the inter-disciplinary field of education and how this research can inform policy, practice and pedagogy.
Examples of EDI programmes in the community
These resources provide examples of how other organisations have set up programmes within their relevant communities that support EDI. Use the left column below to change categories. See the right column for a summary and link to each resource.
Here you will find examples of how other organisations, including other learned societies, have set up programmes within their relevant communities that support EDI.
The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Inclusive Framework
An example of one learned society running a programme working within the community to make the planning profession as diverse as possible. As it describes, ‘The RTPI has a vision of the planning profession to be, as diverse as the communities it represents, to act inclusively, treating everyone fairly and seeking to provide a culture which delivers the best outcomes for the diverse society in which and for whom we work.’
EDI and special interest groups (SIGs)
These resources provide examples of how other organisations use diversity and inclusion specific network groups and research communities to support EDI work. Use the left column below to change categories. See the right column for a summary and link to each resource.
Here you will find examples of how other organisations, including other learned societies, use diversity and inclusion specific network groups and research communities to support EDI work.
Royal Economic Society (RES) – Diversity and Inclusion Network
The RES’ Diversity and Inclusion Network aims to support those working on increasing diversity in economics. They want to contribute to increasing participation from under-represented groups and promote a more inclusive culture in the discipline. They connect individuals and groups working on making economics more diverse and creating a better community and working environment for economists across sectors.
British Accounting & Finance Association (BAFA) – Diversity SIG
The BAFA Diversity SIG aims to enhance and support diversity in accounting and finance education, research and practice.
British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society (BELMAS) – Inclusion RIG
The BELMAS Inclusion RIG brings together practitioners to deconstruct policy and practice around inclusion, by looking at the processes of co-creation, community connectivity and change.
British Educational Research Association (BERA) – Inclusive Education SIG
The Inclusive Education SIG provides a forum for critical discussion about all aspects of inclusive education. Their concerns are with the substantive, methodological and ethical aspects of research into inclusive policy, practice, pedagogy, culture and environments. Their interests are international in scope and span formal and informal education, as well as the compulsory and pre- and post-compulsory sectors.
Here you will find examples of how other organisations, including other learned societies, use women specific network groups and research communities to support their EDI work.
RES – Women’s Committee
The Women’s Committee promotes the status of women in economics by identifying and removing barriers to progress. The committee monitors and reports on the status of women in economics and seeks to identify and tackle the causes of their under-representation in the subject. It provides support for women in their careers as economists and ensures that the interests of women are represented in all of the Society’s activities. This is an example of how one learned society is using research groups and networking communities to advance EDI-based issues.
Economic History Society (EHS) – Women’s Committee
EHS’ Women’s Committee exists primarily to promote women’s careers in economic and social history. It also encourages the pursuit of women’s history and feminist approaches to economic and social history. Currently, the Committee usually runs an annual workshop, a training day, a networking event and a dedicated session at the Annual Conference of the Economic History Society. This is an example of how one learned society is using research groups and networking communities to advance EDI-based issues.
Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association (MeCCSA) – Women’s Network
The Women’s Network is intended for all women researching and teaching in media studies, film and media practice and production areas. It aims to raise the profile of women in these disciplines and promote the research women do. It is also establishing links with other women’s associations in the field and with relevant journals both nationally and at international level.
Political Studies Association (PSA) – Women and Politics Specialist Group
The Women and Politics Specialist Group provides a focus for PSA members – both women and men – whose research is concerned with women or gender; and is also a resource for women in the PSA. The group has a commitment to encourage the presence and visibility of women in the PSA and the discipline, while combating sexism.
British Society of Criminology (BSC) – Women, Crime & Criminal Justice Network
Membership of the network is open to anyone interested in making women visible in the criminal justice system and within the discipline of Criminology.
Here you will find examples of how other organisations, including other learned societies, use gender and sexualities specific network groups and research communities to support their EDI work.
British Academy of Management (BAM) – Gender in Management SIG
BAM’s Gender in Management Special Interest Group aims to promote gender and diversity scholarship within the academy, provide developmental opportunities for members both in career and personal terms, and provide a supportive environment where both new and established academics can share and develop ideas. This is an example of how one learned society is using a special interest group to advance thinking and understanding in the area of gender and diversity management.
The British Association of Applied Linguistics’ (BAAL) – Special Interest Group for Language, Gender and Sexuality
This SIG provides a forum for researchers and other interested professionals to discuss and explore issues of language, gender and sexuality from a range of theoretical, methodological and disciplinary perspectives.
British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society (BELMAS) – The Gender and Educational Leadership RIG
The Gender and Educational Leadership RIG is open to all those who have an interest in gender and leadership in its broadest sense, including educational leaders, researchers and research students.
British Educational Research Association (BERA) – Sexualities & Gender SIG
The Sexualities & Gender SIG provides a forum to critically engage with how gender and sexuality research matters in the inter-disciplinary field of education and how this research can inform policy, practice and pedagogy. The SIG also aims to support the diversity and quality of gender and sexuality education research and contribute to innovations in theoretical, methodological and public engagement.
Here you will find examples of how other organisations, including other learned societies, use disability specific network groups and research communities to support their EDI work.
Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association (MeCCSA) – Disability Studies Network
The MeCCSA Disability Studies Network aims to support and promote the development of the research and teaching of Disability Studies within Media Studies and to provide a space to support and promote the work of disabled academics, lecturers, researchers and media practitioners working in Higher Education.
Here you will find examples of how other organisations, including other learned societies, use race and ethnicity specific network groups and research communities to support their EDI work
Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association (MeCCSA) – Race, Ethnicity and Postcolonial Network
The Race, Ethnicity and Postcolonial Network (REaPN) aims to incorporate a wider agenda about representations of race and ethnicity in the media in the context of postcolonial and multicultural societies.
British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society (BELMAS) – The Race and Leadership Research Interest Group
The Race and Leadership Research Interest Group (RIG) brings together those researching in race and ethnicity, including educational leaders, researchers and research students. It’s aim is to build a network nationally and internationally which generates discussion and debate, exchange and partnership and dialogue across a range of research interests, education settings, contexts and issues related to race, ethnicity and education leadership and management.
British Educational Research Association (BERA) – Race, Ethnicity and Education
The ‘Race’, Ethnicity and Education Special Interest Group is concerned with issues related to race, ethnicity and education.
British Society of Criminology (BSC) – Race Matters Network
The Race Matters Network aims are to foster greater attention to the dynamics of race and racism in criminological projects and practice, including in the wider work of the British Society of Criminology; offer support, solidarity and academic development to Black and minority ethnic scholars in criminology, as well as those working within the subfield of race and criminology; engage with local communities, practitioners and policy makers to influence, listen and inform around questions of race and racism; and foster wider recognition of the contribution of Black and minority ethnic scholars to criminology, historically, nationally and internationally. It does so through organising and hosting conferences; disseminating information via email, scholarly publications, social media and other means; responding to policy consultations and/or requests for information; engaging in tendering and funding bids; and collaborating with members of the ASC People of Color and Crime division and the BSA Race and Ethnicity Study Group, and other networks of relevance.