A recent study examining the prevalence of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI and EDI) practices in government-funded research agencies reveals that these ideologies have become predominant in academia and government.
The report by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute investigated the integration of DEI principles in academic and research organizations, including three federal research granting agencies.
According to the report, DEI has become entrenched at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), which collectively have a budget of $3.95 billion.
Instead of emphasizing research excellence, these agencies are often promoting and rewarding political activism, the report states.
Author Dave Snow, an associate professor at the University of Guelph, points out that DEI prevalence is reflected in preferential hiring practices and grant allocation considerations at these agencies.
“There is no ‘hidden EDI agenda’ at the federal granting agencies,” Snow said. “EDI is at the forefront of SSHRC, CIHR, and NSERC.”
CIHR’s definition of research excellence uses activist DEI language, indicating that health and medical research funding has been politicized, he adds.
Snow highlights various ways in which DEI is prioritized at these agencies, including the implementation of a DEI “Action Plan,” grants for DEI-related research, race- and gender-based funding preferences, an emphasis on being “anti-racist,” mandatory diversity training, and guidelines encouraging DEI considerations in grant applications.
The report warns that these practices endanger the perception of political independence and unbiased research that is essential for any funding agency, emphasizing the need for reform.
Recommendations
The report suggests that while DEI-focused research should not be prohibited, the research landscape should be impartial and fair for all researchers.
Several recommendations are proposed to reduce the dominance of DEI-driven research and favoritism:
- Grant-funding agencies should remain neutral and refrain from showing bias towards ideologically motivated research.
- References to equity, diversity, and inclusion should be removed from agency websites and materials.
- DEI-focused grants should be discontinued.
- Grant applications that prioritize activism over knowledge creation should be eliminated.
- Removal of DEI modules from the application process and avoidance of equity-based awards are recommended.
- Expanding the data collected by granting agencies to include a wider range of demographic characteristics beyond DEI-focused identity markers.
The final recommendation is to permit DEI-driven research without actively promoting it, encouraging researchers to apply for funding based on merit and commitment to research excellence rather than activism.
