NIHR Applied Research Collaboration East of England is committed to championing diversity, equity and equality and sustaining a research environment where everyone feels included.
Working with communities to reduce health inequalities is central to our research and we are committed to embedding inclusion into everything that we do.
Diverse people and communities shape our research, and we aim to create an environment where opportunities to be involved in, engaged with and participate in health and care research are inclusive and accessible for all. Our strategy outlines the commitment of NIHR ARC EoE to value diversity and champion equity and equality and sustain a research environment where everyone feels included.
This page highlights useful resources to help ensure an inclusive research environment.
Why should research be inclusive?
If research is not designed and conducted inclusively, research will not serve those most in need.
Currently, participants in research projects are not reflective of patient populations (Bower et al., 2020). For example, participants in diabetes research are not ethnically diverse and participants in heart failure research are 20 years younger than the usual patient. This can lead to important findings specific to different populations being overlooked and health inequalities being maintained or increased.
All NIHR research should benefit all people in society and fulfils everyone's right to health and social care.
Inclusion is now a key condition of NIHR Funding
The NIHR officially launched a new requirement that all applicants demonstrate how their research will address existing inequalities in health and social care as a condition of funding on 27th November 2024.
NIHR Research Inclusion Resources
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit This resource has been developed to support researchers and research advisers to better understand how to embed equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in research design and to meet the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research Inclusion requirements.
Researchers can contact the Research Support Service to help you develop your funding applications and for advice about equality, diversity and inclusion.
The Research Inclusion space on NIHR Learn is managed by the NIHR Research Inclusion team. Training and resources included here, unless indicated otherwise, are applicable to everyone working in the NIHR. Content includes guidance on diversity data collection, equality impact assessment (EIA) training, and good practice guides, relating to inclusive language and communications.
Equality Impact Assessments
Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) are an evidence-based tool to help ensure that key activities are fair and do not present barriers to participation or disadvantage any protected groups. EIAs also identify early opportunities to mitigate negative impacts and advance inclusion. It helps determine and understand how what we do may affect people differently. The most important outcome of this process is ensuring that groups and individuals who face disadvantage and underrepresentation are visible in priority research settings
Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) Toolkit | ARC EM 2024 This toolkit consists of comprehensive training, a directory of useful resources, as well as ongoing advice and guidance on how to complete an EqIA for a research project and examples from research projects, including EqIA for Systematic Reviews.
The Health Inequalities Assessment Toolkit (HIAT) The HIAT aims to support people to integrate an intersectional equity lens into research, and consider how people with lived experience and policy or practice expertise can help in this process.
Guidance on improving inclusion of under-served groups in research. This guidance summarises what an under-served group is, a roadmap suggesting intervention points to improve inclusion, examples of under-served groups and barriers to inclusion. It then provides a suggested framework of questions to guide the deliberations of funders, researchers and delivery teams as they design and assess health and care research proposals, and ends with examples of good practice and other resources to guide teams seeking to engage with, and improve inclusion of, under-served groups in health and care research.
Further Support
You can register for training on EIAs with NIHR through the Research Inclusion space on NIHR Learn
ARC East Midlands offer drop-in sessions for further support with your Equality Impact Assessment. These interactive workshops are aimed at researchers and study teams within NIHR ARCs who require support in carrying out an EqIA. These sessions are designed to cater to your needs
Diversity Data
Collecting and analysing demographic data can help us to understand under representation in the research system and using the data and evidence to set priorities for future work. The NIHR published a Diversity Data Report in 2022 marking an important step in developing an evidence-based approach to reducing inequalities and maximising inclusion. For further information see the DAISY guidance on diversity and inclusion questions.
This slide deck contains the NIHR's approved diversity monitoring question and response set. If you are considering collecting diversity monitoring data within NIHR, you are encouraged to consider using this standard question set.
Research Inclusion Training
Cultural Competence, Increasing Diverse Populations in Research and Effective Community Engagement training are all available from the Centre for Ethnic Health Research . The team have created training programmes to provide information and opportunities for individuals to reflect and review their own understanding and practice in order to confidently respond to the varied needs of your populations.
The Research Inclusion space on NIHR Learn includes links to training and relevant resources.