Research Inclusion
Every person has the same opportunity to take part in research regardless of geographical location, age, gender, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, ethnicity, religion or belief, biological sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status and access to health and social care.
Inclusion is one of five cornerstones in the NIHR’s operational priorities (see Best Research for Best Health: The Next Chapter)and therefore underpins our priorities in the delivery of health and care research.
In recognition of the importance of EDI and our commitment to it, a new NIHR Research Inclusion strategy 2022-2027 has been developed to complement the NIHR’s operational priorities.
We are proud of our diverse workforce, many are actively involved in CUH staff Network groups. Glynn, is co-chair of the Purple Network. A group for staff with hidden or visible disabilities, working together to promote inclusion for our workforce.
“No decision about me, without me”
What is Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)?
Equality
Ensuring that everyone is given equal assess to resources and opportunities to utilise their skills and talents.
Taking a ‘systems approach’ to what we do and how we do it.
Identifying and removing long-standing, structural barriers to success.
Equity
Involves trying to understand and give people what they need to achieve their potential; promoting notions of fairness, justice, entitlements and rights.
Diversity
Being reflective of the wider community.
Having a diverse community, with people from a broad range of backgrounds represented in all areas and at every level.
Inclusion
Where groups of individuals with different backgrounds are welcomed, accepted both culturally and socially, and trusted equally.
Engaging with each person as an individual and making colleagues feel valued with a sense of belonging that is respectful of people for who they are.
Feeling supported to enable us all to do our best.
Our Strategy
We are currently preparing our NIHR Cambridge CRF EDI strategy to ensure we embed our commitment to EDI in all our ways of working.
Our EDI strategy will centre around 5 key themes:
- Participation
- Workforce
- Leadership
- Patient and public involvement (PPI)
- Training
- Our EDI strategy will be published in summer 2023.
Why is EDI important in research?
Failing to include a broad range of participants means that the results may not be generalised for the general population
Our CRF is working collaboratively and in harmony with the wider NIHR infrastructure to improve our reach, impact and improving inclusion in under-served groups to make health and care research more inclusive.
The NIHR- INCLUDE project was commissioned in 2017 by the NIHR Clinical Research Network to address the lack of representation in health and care research, with a vision to provide better health and care through inclusive research.
All members of our core CRF team complete NIHR INCLUDE Training.
Cambridge Clinical Research Facility (CRF) is the largest, single site NIHR CRF, in the heart of Cambridge Biomedical Campus. It is the largest centre of medical research and health science in Europe.
