Having Applicants Explicitly Address EDI in their Applications

3 – The Application Form and Process

In designing your application process, you may also consider enabling applicants to engage in a direct, conscious, and explicit manner with EDI.

In a job application this may involve a question regarding:

Their understanding of EDI,
Their history of enacting the principles of EDI in their career,
How they foresee EDI coming into play in the role to which they are applying

In a funding application to encourage applicants to reflect on and discuss EDI in relation to their research proposal and/or teams, the application form could include the following dedicated sections. These sections should aim at encouraging applicants and reviewers to engage explicitly with EDI, while leaving freedom for applicants to articulate it in the way they think best in relation to their application.

ETHICS SECTION

Applicants could be asked to elaborate on ethical questions regarding their application and any other activity (e.g., outreach).
Activities should be carried out in full respect of ethical guidelines, which include but are not limited to:

Ethical Guidelines

Relevant disciplinary guidelines

Fair treatment of team members

Open science protocols

CONSIDERATION FOR CAREERS AND LIVELIHOODS OF TEAM MEMBERS:

Ask applicants to outline how they will ensure fair financial retribution and intellectual recognition of team members’ work
Ask applicants to reflect on the long-term legacies of their projects for team members and the communities involved.

DIVERSITY SECTION:

Invite applicants to elaborate on how their projects and teams fulfil the funding call’s diversity objectives.
Encourage applicants to include any additional sensitive information regarding their team’s circumstances in relation to EDI and the implementation of project-specific initiatives (e.g., implementation of project-specific EDI policies).

Throughout the entire application process, you should aim to pay particular attention to maintaining the highest EDI standards and to regularly review practices, providing feedback to applicants, and scrutinising reviewers’ comments to highlight any potential for bias and/or discrimination.

Successful applications should be screened again before proceeding with the funding award/employment stage to clarify and promptly act upon any potential issues regarding EDI and ethics.

SECTION 3: The Application Form and Process

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Providing scoring criteria to applicants up-front ensures a fairer application process.