The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in research fund is designed to enable you to think in depth about equity, diversity and inclusion as you develop your research applications – especially in the early phases when designing your study.

This funding builds on the RDS London Public Involvement Fund (PIF), that we award to researchers to enable them to involve patients and the public in the early stages of designing a study. PIF-funded activities can cover all aspects of designing studies, including questions relating to EDI.

This EDI in research fund, however, can also be used to support the involvement of a broader range of people, not just ‘lay’ people. You may, for example, use the fund for activities and conversations involving researchers and/or relevant professionals.

Eligibility for the fund

The fund is open to all researchers who are:

  • receiving support from RDS London
  • planning to, or are in the process of applying for competitive research funding for a study in applied health, public health, or social care.

To be considered for our EDI fund, you must be planning to submit your research proposal for national, peer-reviewed funding.

The maximum amount that we award is £300.

How can I use the fund?

You can use the money to:

  • cover the costs of setting up one or more meetings with individuals or groups of individuals (for example meeting room hire, refreshments etc.)
  • reimburse individuals / groups for their time and travel expenses
  • reimburse for cost of carers that will allow individuals to participate.

These discussions can take the form of a group discussion or one-on-one conversations. You can use your own contacts to recruit for discussions, or contact relevant public or patient groups.

As a pilot scheme, we welcome other innovative ideas for using the award to enable you to consider the role of EDI in your research.

We recommend that you make sure:

  • to allow enough time for your activity e.g., to discuss your proposed research
  • that the activity is accessible for everyone (e.g., meeting space)
  • that the format and activities are appropriate for the group
  • to plan for training and facilitation where appropriate.

You might review and address questions such as:

  • To whom is my research question most relevant? Think along the axes of gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, class, age and education, etc.
  • How diverse is my research team? Who else can I include? How are tasks and credit distributed within the team?
  • How can I build in mechanisms of accountability within my research team?
  • Are research eligibility criteria inclusive and equitable?
  • Are research methods appropriate for the inclusion of a wide range of participants and perspectives?
  • What reach do we have in our data collection plan?
  • How can I disseminate findings to a wider audience?

These are only suggestions. We encourage innovative and creative ideas that are appropriate for whichever group you are working with. You may later wish to develop ongoing relationships with the group you consult with in your pre-research grant application phase. You can do so by costing regular meetings with your feedback group into your main funding application.

How to apply

Application and assessment criteria

The reviewers’ decision will be based on the:

  • eligibility of the applicant and project (see criteria above)
  • thoughtful consideration of existing EDI concerns
  • likelihood of benefiting from EDI discussions and feedback
  • plans for EDI discussions and adherence to good practice.

Timeframes

We recommend you submit your EDI fund application form at least eight weeks in advance of your funding application deadline. We may still consider later applications, so please contact us to find out if your proposal is eligible.

We aim to get in touch within one week upon receipt of your applications. You will then be notified about our decision within four weeks from the stated submission deadline. Successful applicants will receive instructions on how to receive reimbursement of costs upon award of the EDI fund, which will be made either retrospectively to the researcher or directly to participants.

EDI fund application form

To apply for the fund, please fill in the application at the bottom of our main EDI in research fund page.