Shows
Diversity in Research PodcastThe Global Dynamics of Open Data - and where it leaves diversity. A conversation with Mark HahnelOpen data has been a recurring theme on the podcast - for better or worse. Every year, Digital Science and Springer Nature publish a report on the status of open science, so we thought this year's report was a good occasion to take stock and have a good discussion not only on the status of open status but also on where it's going, how and why. To help us, we invited one of the report's authors, Mark Hahnel from Digital Science, to the podcast to discuss the report titled 'Bridging Policy and Practice in Data Sharing...
2024-12-1747 minDiversity in Research PodcastMotherhood in academia. A conversation with Lisette Espïn-Noboa.As two cis-gendered men without children, talking about motherhood in academia isn't really our forte. So, with Lachlan travelling, we took the opportunity to invite Hélène Draux from Digitial Science as guest co-host with Jakob for a conversation about motherhood in academia with Lisette Espín-Noboa and the role it plays in the gender gap. Lisette is a postdoc at the Complexity Science Hub and Central European University.We discuss the structural issues within academic institutions that disproportionately affect mothers and offer recommendations for creating a more supportive environment for women researchers. We also touch on...
2024-12-0355 minDiversity in Research PodcastIf AI, open science and impact is transforming science - where does that leave diversity? A conversation with Digital Science There is no doubt that AI has thrown a lot of our conceptions of science—or at least how we work in and with science—up in the air. Digital Science has written a report about it: “Research Transformation: Change in the Era of AI, open and Impact: voices from the Academic Community.” We invited two of the authors, Suze Kundu and Simon Porter, on the podcast to chat about where this transformation leaves EDI and minorities. We explore the evolving landscape of research practices, the importance of open research, and the need for metrics that reflect inclusivit...
2024-11-1958 minDiversity in Research PodcastDiversity and internationalisation for smaller research institutions – the case of GuildHE.Many of us tend to forget that all research institutions are not big, comprehensive universities. Actually, quite a few are smaller institutions either because they are fairly new, specialize in a single discipline, or are based in more rural areas where there isn’t the population needed for a big research-intensive university. But how do you navigate international collaborations in a setting like that? And diversity, if you’re a small, almost mono-cultural institution? Should it be up to the perhaps two or three black persons or gay persons to change that?To figure this out...
2024-11-051h 11Diversity in Research PodcastThe Role of Publishers in equity, diversity and inclusion. A conversation with SpringerNature’s Sowmya Swaminathan.We often discuss researchers and research managers on the podcast, but publishers are also key players in the research ecosystem. So, we invited SpingerNature to discuss their report “Insights into diversity, equity and inclusion in the global research community.” Sowmya Swaminathan, their director of DEI, Research who also directs Springer Nature's DEI Program in Research Publishing and serves on the Springer Nature Group DEI Council, joined us for a chat about DEI in the global research community and the importance of publishers taking action in promoting DEI. We talk about how geographical diversity is often undervalued, how early...
2024-10-2259 minDiversity in Research Podcast"If everyone quits, the injustices will continue." A conversation with Laura Heath-Stout about her new book.Welcome back to Laura Heath-Stout - our first return guest on the podcast!Laura is a postdoctoral fellow in archaeology at Stanford University. She has a new book out: 'Identity, Oppression, and Diversity in Archaeology.', so we wanted her back on the podcast for a chat about it. And while we aren't all archaeologists the peculiar dimensions of archaeology, such as excavations, rights to data, etc., perhaps make them a canary in the academic coal mine. It is a very personal book where she reflects on her personal experiences, the importance of feminist practices i...
2024-10-081h 13Diversity in Research PodcastDiversity is about more than gender - but it's also about gender. Marcela Linkova on the GenderSAFE project.Gender equality in academia and research has been a topic for decades. And between that and the #metoo movement, one would think we had solved the problems. Yet, here we are. While we usually say that diversity is more than gender, it's also gender. So we invited Marcela Linkova from the GenderSAFE project on the podcast to discuss the project and their mid-way report and for a broader discussion about gender and how we advance the agenda. We discussed the project, what gender-based violence means, the complexity of intersectionality, power, internationalisation, and the precariat, the te...
2024-09-2455 minDiversity in Research PodcastEquitable research partnerships across Africa and Europe - challenges and opportunitiesCreating equitable research collaborations between the Global North and Global South has been a struggle for many years. How do you create equitability when there is a structural imbalance in the core element of research: funding? And how do you balance the need for global collaboration with differences in values on diversity issues like gender, race, LGTBQ+ issues, etc.?These are not easy questions, but the Guild of Research Intensive Universities (The Guild) and African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) are trying to navigate these challenges through the Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE). We chatted with Sean...
2024-09-101h 06Diversity in Research PodcastEmbedding EDI in the Research Management Profession. A conversation with NCURA's Kris Monahan and Joey GaynorA core element of our work is to make research managers key promoters of diversity in research and research management. But sometimes, we felt a little alone with this agenda. Then, along came Kris and Joey. Kris A. Monahan is the President of NCURA (National Council of University Research Administrators), and Joey Gaynor is chair of NCURA's International Region. We had a great conversation at a conference and decided to move to the podcast. The conversation explores their experiences promoting equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in research management in the US and internationally through NCURA. The US c...
2024-07-3056 minDiversity in Research PodcastHealth data, diversity and AI. Nuances and policy. A conversation with Robin van Kessel.Join us in this conversation with Robin van Kessel, a health policy researcher at the London School of Economics, as we explore the intricate dynamics of health data, digital health technologies, and AI in healthcare. Robin shares his expertise on health data poverty, the challenges of ensuring inclusive health datasets, and the importance of nuanced policymaking in addressing these issues.We discuss the concept of health data poverty, its implications, and its impact on the inclusivity and accuracy of health research. Robin highlights the catch-22 of building tools for underrepresented communities without adequate data representation....
2024-07-241h 05Diversity in Research PodcastDiversity. AI. And research proposals. A recipe for…? A conversation with Avi Staiman.Like many others, we’ve been exploring the capabilities of AI tools. However, when we started considering their implications in terms of diversity and security, we found ourselves with more questions than answers. We're not afraid to admit that we see potential problems, and we're eager to discuss them. That’s why we invited Avi Staiman on the podcast. Avi is the founder and CEO of Academic Language Experts. Soon after the launch of ChatGPT and other AI tools, he started talking about how to use it in research and research management, including in writing proposals. We m...
2024-07-101h 12Diversity in Research PodcastPride Month Special: Professor Sandy O’Sullivan on being an aboriginal, transgender/non-binary researcher.Being queer is many different things, and we try to remember that our experience as white cis-gendered gay men in the UK and Denmark is not representative. We have long talked about inviting Professor Sandy O’Sullivan on the podcast, and what better occasion than Pride Month? Sandy is a Wiradjuri (Aboriginal), transgender/non-binary person, and a Professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies at Macquarie University, Australia and heavily involved in the Centre for Global Indigenous Futures. We talked to them about anti-colonialism, queer studies, indigenous studies in a global perspective and the colonial proj...
2024-06-251h 10Diversity in Research Podcast100% accessible for everybody, please! A conversation about disability and research with Kathrine Deane.When discussing diversity, we talk a lot about gender, race, and LGBTQ+ issues. There is, of course, more to the issue – and according to Kathrine Deane, disability is the next frontier. Kathrine is an associate professor at East Anglia University. She has a disability herself, but that doesn’t stop her from being a force of nature – and an absolute delight to talk to. And she doesn’t compromise. She demands 100% accessibility for everybody. She also embodies that talking about diversity can and should be fun. In our conversation Kathrine easily goes from the overarching aims and p...
2024-06-171h 06Diversity in Research PodcastThe role of diversity and internationalisation in career development for researchers. A conversation with Pedro Resende from ChaperoneNot all research institutions have a set of courses or clearly defined career pathways for their researchers. We expect researchers to be born with the necessary skills to project manage, plan their career and support research networks or miraculously achieve them when they get their PhD degree. Pedro Resende co-founded Chaperone, the first personalised online career development platform for scientists. We found that concept intriguing and wanted to chat with Pedro about his thoughts on career development and, of course, the role of managing diversity and internationalisation in today’s ideas of skills for researchers. We talked abo...
2024-05-3033 minDiversity in Research PodcastHow being Research Adjacent can influence diversity in researchThis week, we are joined by Sarah McLusky, who is a consultant, trainer and facilitator who helps research organisations and individuals maximise their research and research careers. Sarah hosts the brilliant Research Adjacent podcast where she talks with those working in the research space how they support research to be the best it can be.In this episode, we delve into the crucial concept of being research adjacent. We explore its significance in fostering inclusion in research and research environments, particularly in understanding why many women hold research-adjacent roles. We also discuss strategies to ensure that the...
2024-05-1243 minDiversity in Research PodcastWhen diversity meets politics - why everybody should pay attention to the Donelan case in the UK.One of the challenges with working with diversity is how some of it has been politicised. In this episode, we explore the case of UK Secretary of Science Michelle Donelan. In the fall of 2023, after the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, she accused two researchers of sympathising with Hamas. The two researchers were on the UKRI Expert Advisory Group on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and the secretary insisted that the group be dissolved. In this episode, we explore the case - and discuss why this is not only a UK matter. Because at the end of the day, u...
2024-04-2723 minDiversity in Research PodcastExploring future transnational cooperation for Europe’s universities: What does it mean for minorities?Global collaborations in research, teaching and student recruitment remain at the heart of the work of higher education institutions across Europe. The European Universities Association (EUA) recently released a report which explores possible futures of transnational cooperation for universities. Taking an exploratory foresight approach, the report provides the tools for universities to think through how they can prepare for future collaborations.Not surprisingly, some of the proposed outcomes don't look great for minority groups working in or with institutions. We talked with Anna-Lena from the EUA about the report, how it came about and what it means...
2024-01-1643 minDiversity in Research PodcastResearch management around the world - and why internationalisation and diversity are core skillsResearch management has grown globally over recent years, with universities, funders, and policymakers recognising the profession's importance in ensuring effective research delivery, particularly as research becomes increasingly international in focus.A new book, The Emerald Handbook of Research Management and Administration Around the World, reflects this growth by taking a global approach to understanding the growth, differences, similarities and challenges in research management. For this episode, we speak to two of the book's editors (Simon Kerridge and Melinda Fisher) about the book, its idea, and what they hope people will get from it. We also interviewed two...
2024-01-0847 minDiversity in Research PodcastDiversity in FP10: Surprising lessons from Polish LGBTQ+ historyAlong with much of the European research community, we're slowly warming up for what FP10 - the next European research framework programme - will look like. Our primary concern, not surprisingly, is what role diversity and internationalisation play. A main consideration, of course, is what is politically feasible, and without naming names - well, we are - some European countries have more conservative views on diversity than we do. So, we decided to look at history and invited historian Kamil Karczweski on the podcast. He has researched LGBTQ+ rights in Poland in the interwar period...
2023-12-031h 09Diversity in Research PodcastIn defence of indicators for Research CultureUK politics are never boring - not even when it comes to research policy (which - let’s face it - can appear quite sedate for non-research-geeks).In this episode, we explore the recent spat after UKRI announced that in the next REF - Research Culture would count for 25% of an institution's score which was closely followed by a tender to develop indicators to help them measure culture. That didn’t go down well with a lot of universities, and on top of all that, UKRI dissolved their EDI committee based on governmental critique. That didn’t go dow...
2023-11-1442 minDiversity in Research PodcastEthical Science Communication and Diversity with Eva Kagiri-Kalanzi from Scientia ScriptaEva Kagiri-Kalanzi from Scientia Scripta joins us this week to talk about Science Communication and public engagement, working across higher education research institutions and her experiences as a black woman in research management who migrated first to Finland and then the UK. Scientia Scripta is an ethical consultancy, we discuss what that means along with how to engage universities in gender analysis within research, supporting them to talk about these issues and the concept of diversity literacy. We also branch into a fascinating conversation about a new Creative Policy Development project using mosaics they are undertaking funded b...
2023-10-311h 03Diversity in Research PodcastImpact and diversity - a conversation with Julie Bayley.Societal impact is increasingly important, and as such, impact is a term that is now widely used across academia and research. Luckily, Julie Bayley, impact guru (and "Murder She Wrote" aficionado), has written a book about what research impact is, how you can achieve it and how we document it.We loved reading her book - "Creating Meaningful Impact" - but we, of course, had some questions about diversity and internationalisation. So we invited her on the podcast. We talked about how international collaborations can challenge how we decide what impact is and how it is measured, ho...
2023-10-1650 minDiversity in Research PodcastPRIDE in STEM - a conversation with Dr Alfredo CarpinetiIn this episode, we talk to Dr. Alfredo Carpineti, science reporter, founder and chair of PRIDE in STEM. We explored what PRIDE in STEM is - whether it's still important - and whether things are worse for LGTBQ+ people in STEM than in the rest of academia.That all led us to a conversation about the challenges of the politicisation of LGTBQ+ issues in many countries, internationalisation - and finally, how we can all help make academia more LGBTQ+ inclusive.Alfredo is good company - and we think everybody can learn a lot from our c...
2023-09-251h 06Diversity in Research PodcastHow can you include diversity and internationalisation in research proposals?Season seven is here!We kick off the new season by discussing how you can include diversity and internationalisation in research proposals. We know this isn't always familiar territory for people so we thought talking you through our approach might take away some of the fear!We developed a model during the pandemic that we use in our work to help researchers and research managers get started in tackling what can be a complex issue. We developed a structure and questions to build on so the task doesn't feel daunting. We call it the FLOW mo...
2023-09-1236 minDiversity in Research PodcastHey Gurl - Congrats on the new job Iliona Ivanova!We begin this episode by welcoming the new EU Commissioner (expected at least) Iliona Ivanovo, by saying “Hey gurl”! as only two gay guys can do it. We finish season 6 with a look back at the first half of 2023 and looking at wins and fails from our point of view. We look at some of the workshops we have run, research policy and other things going on in diversity and internationalisation in research and research management. And then we look at what’s to come in the rest of the year - for us - and particularly our expectat...
2023-07-0736 minDiversity in Research PodcastThe importance of representation - on being the first woman of colour chairing EARMA - and how ARMA has worked with diversityThis episode is inspirational and aspirational as we continue exploring what we learned at the EARMA Conference 2023.Right before the conference, EARMA elected Dipti Pandya, chair-elect of EARMA as the first woman of colour. So we had a chat with her and Rosie Madnick, the past president of NCURA, and the first black woman to chair that organisation, about the role of representation. Rosie gave Dipti some good advice, and we talked about how diversity and representation will play a role in projects like RM Roadmap and the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment.Then we...
2023-05-2957 min
The Grant#55 The gender aspect in Horizon Europe w. guests Lachlan Smith and Jakob Feldtfos Christensen - The Timeline Series (24)The gender aspect in the EU R&D framework programmes has long lived a life as sections of the R&D proposals that was not really taken serious. Standard generic 10-lines paragraphs, rolling eyes, frowns and in general being ridiculed as absolutely irrelevant. Those times are slowly fading away. The EU Commission keeps pushing for real gender-related reflections and input both in specific sections and organically in for example the Excellence section. And the Commission has here shown itself a head of time. Most people acknowledges - at least – that it is a subject you need to have an op...
2023-05-211h 20Diversity in Research PodcastEARMA Annual Conference 2023: Lessons on diversity, internationalisation and professional developmentWe had the pleasure of participating in the EARMA Annual Conference in Prague. We hosted our own panel, Jakob was part of a discussion table - and we listened to presentations, looked at the posters and had lots of discussions and fun.In this episode, we follow up on the conference by reflecting on the role of diversity and internationalisation at the conference generally and in specific sessions. We also have a chat about the two issues that cut through the conference: The RM Roadmap project and The Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment. We...
2023-05-1634 minDiversity in Research PodcastDiversity and discrimination in research organisations. A conversation with Clemens StriebingIn this episode we talk to Clemens Striebing about the book that he co-edited called "Diversity and Discrimination in Research Organizations" (link below). We talked about the difference between discimination and diversity, and why that matters, because often we actually talk about anti-discrimination initiatives when we talk about diversity, and that is making the discussion unclear. We also talk about leadership and management, and how New Public Management has impacted how research organisations work with diversity. The books has chapters on internationalisation and countries around the world, so we had a good chat...
2023-04-181h 04Diversity in Research PodcastFundFit - Can software solutions for identifying research funding help us address diversity in international research?We don't want to admit it, but it's been a few years since we were research advisors. Not that we're old - not at all, but it's been a while since we worked with funding databases to identify research funding for researchers. So imagine us getting an introduction to Streamlyne's software FundFit. We found it really interesting and wanted a chat about what it can and can't do, and the potential in FundFit and other software solutions. Luckily, Streamlyne's CEO Randy Özden was happy to join us on the podcast for a chat. And we learn a l...
2023-03-2744 minDiversity in Research PodcastIn 2050 Nigeria will have the world’s 3rd largest population. What do you know about their research policy?It’s absolutely bonkers we don’t talk more about Nigerian research policy! Have you ever said that to yourself or your colleagues? No! Well, you should. Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and the country with the largest population on the continent as well. And in 2050 it will have the 3rd largest population in the world. So an important country that will only grow in importance. We were slightly embarrassed that we knew next to nothing about the country’s research policy and used the country’s presidential elections as an occasion to learn more...
2023-03-1449 minDiversity in Research PodcastHow do research grant writers think about diversity? A conversation with Niels Tudor-Vinther from The Grant.Admittedly we sometimes live in a bubble where all things diversity and internationalisation are incredibly interesting and incredibly important. And they are. But how about the research managers and administrators who support researchers in writing grant proposals? We needed a snap back to reality, and who better to help us with that than Niels Tudor-Vinther. Niels was work with European research funding in different ways for a number of years, several of them as a proposal writer. Now he’s the host of “The Grant”, a podcast dedicated to European research funding. So not only can he talk ab...
2023-02-281h 02Diversity in Research PodcastScience communication, social media and attention - the dilemmas of minorities. A conversation with Julius WescheWe're back with the first episode of season six (can you believe it!).We kick off with a conversation with Julius Wesche about science communication and particularly social media. For science communication to work you need attention - but not all researchers with a minority background like the attention as it can draw focus on their personal characteristics etc. and steer the communication in a negative direction. How do we balance that?That was the core issue of our conversation that took us far and wide. Julius is a researcher at Norwegian University of Science and...
2023-02-141h 12Diversity in Research PodcastQueer Data: The challenge to research, researchers and open science. A conversation with Kevin GuyanWhen we learned earlier this year about Kevin Guyan's book "Queer Data: Using Gender, Sex and Sexuality Data for Action" we knew we had to have him on the podcast. We talk about what queer data is and what the queering of data is. The latter probably being less familiar to the listeners. And we talk about the pros and cons of queer data. Why it can actually be problematic for the queer community to have more data collected about them. We talk queer competencies and the central question: Who should be in the room?Fi...
2022-11-0851 minDiversity in Research PodcastAnalyzing DG Research's new report on inclusive gender equality - and the next steps universities can takeIn this episode, we take the opportunity to examine the recent European Commission report "Approaches to inclusive gender equality in research and innovation". In a change of approach, instead of inviting the authors to talk to us, we did our own analysis of the report and chatted about what universities can do after reading the report. We liked the direction of travel outlined in the report and explored why this remains such an important area in higher education research. Because one thing is certain after reading this report: DG Research wants diversity to be more...
2022-10-1849 minDiversity in Research PodcastReforming research assessment - what is the role of diversity? A conversation with Stephane BerghmansIn the episode, we talk to Stephane Berghmans, Director of Research and Innovation at the European University Association. Stephane was in the room as the "Agreement on Reform of Research Assessment" was written, and we expect him to play a key role in the implementation as well. We talked about how the agreement came about, why it is important - and of course, what happened to diversity in the principles. We didn't agree with Stephane on all things, but big principles are at stake here, so that's only natural - quite the contrary, it made it...
2022-10-0457 minDiversity in Research PodcastScience diplomacy in a time of war - a conversation with Rasmus Gjedssø BertelsenScience diplomacy is a great concept, and one of the things that inspired us to move into this work. Actually Jakob thought about writing a PhD on the topic for a while. But one thing is talking about the concept - another to put it into action in a time of war as we see now with the war in Ukraine. So we invited professor Rasmus Gjedssø Bertelsen from the Arctic University in Norway (UiT) for a chat about why the science community cut all ties to Russia if we are so focused on the p...
2022-09-1557 minDiversity in Research PodcastInternationalisation as a Global South research funder - a conversation with Community JameelIn this episode, we talk to Uzma Sulaiman, associate director of Community Jameel, an independent, global organisation. The opportunity to chat with Community Jameel grabbed our attention as we rarely get to talk to a research funder from the Global South, specifically one targeting societal challenges in the Global South with Global South academic leads. We had a great conversation about their work and the importance of the Global South being a key player on the funding side of international research collaborations. We, of course, also talked about the challenges of diversity and international collaborations, w...
2022-09-0644 minDiversity in Research PodcastRoe vs Wade - Katie Pryal on why abortion is a Higher-Ed Issue.There is no doubt that there are many immediate consequences for women in the US when it comes to the overturn of Roe vs Wade. It almost doesn't bare thinking. But we all should, and Katie Rose Guest Pryal caught our attention with an article in The Chronicle called: "Abortion is a Higher-Ed Issue " (link below). Katie is an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of North Carolina School of Law, an author and a public speaker. One of the topics she speaks and writes about is mental health and aspects of mental disability. In her...
2022-08-181h 16Diversity in Research PodcastThe overturn of Roe vs Wade: Who's next? Phillip Ayoub on the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and whether we should be concerned.We saw the leak, but still. It couldn't happen. But it did.In June the US Supreme Court overturned Roe vs Wade, the verdict that in 1973 ensured women's right to abortion on a federal level in the US.In a controversial concurring opinion Justice Thomas basically promised to overturn the right to gay marriage, gay sex and contraception as well if the right cases were presented. So we decided to invite Phillip Ayoub on the podcast to learn more about the consequences for the staff with a minority back ground in academia and whether we s...
2022-07-2959 minDiversity in Research PodcastFirst Voices - promoting North American indigenous voices in academiaIn this episode, we talk to Erika Valenti from Emerald Publishing and Ashley Richard from the University of Manitoba about the Emerald-led initiatives "First voices First" and "The Power of Diverse Voices". They focus on giving voice to indigenous people on their own terms and expanding the notion of what we consider research, with a focus on North America.Ashley also tells us about her work for her community and female entrepreneurship, and you really get a sense of how important this work is, and how doing this work is not only making academia more inclusive but...
2022-07-261h 04Diversity in Research PodcastOpen science, international research collaborations and science diplomacy – challenges and possibilities for EU and European universitiesIn this chat we talk to Daniel Spichtinger from Austria on the topic of open science, why the EU Commission felt a need to develop a strategy for international research collaboration, what happened to "open to the world, how to understand " and what is "open strategic autonomy". We discuss the role of science diplomacy in an increasingly complex international world, and of course how minorities should navigate all this when talking about "values". Since the podcast was recorded the EU has published a toolkit on how to mitigate foreign interference in research and innovation - this really is a fast-moving space! You can see the toolkit here: https://ec.europa.eu/info/news/commission...
2022-01-1954 minDiversity in Research PodcastSocial Media in Academic Life - Curse or blessing?On the one side, social media is increasingly considered a part of societal and research impact in academia and it is a chance for us all to get in contact with like-minded people we would otherwise never interact with.On the other side, we know that minority groups are increasingly targets of harassment and attacks on social media and that there are risks to using social media metrics as a measure of success and impact. To explore these issues we had a fascinating chat with Mark Carrigan about social media in academia. He has recently...
2021-12-1654 minDiversity in Research PodcastThe Race Equality Charter - learning from doing: the experience at Northumbria UniversityNorthumbria University is currently working through the process to achieve the Race Equality Charter (https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/equality-charters/race-equality-charter). We talk to Professor Tom Lawson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and historian about the approach Northumbria is taking, why achieving the charter is important to them and how it fits into the bigger diversity and inclusion picture.We have a really interesting conversation about listening and why that is key to making changes and improvements while recognising that the journey isn't complete when the charter is achieved. The work done as part of the process is more important...
2021-11-2350 minDiversity in Research PodcastGlobal Research Council - how public research funders work with equality and diversity in global researchOh, to be in the mind of a research funder! How do they think? How do they work? What is that secret to get that grant?The secret of course is that there is no secret, but in this episode we can share with you a little about what global public research funders think about equality, diversity and inclusion in research. We talk to Roshni Abedin (UK) and Ana Maria Fonseca de Almeida (Brazil). They are both part of the Gender Working Group under Global Research Council. Global Research Council is a virtual organisation promoting...
2021-11-1152 minDiversity in Research PodcastHow research collaboration in Africa is changing - a conversation with Joy OwangoThe lyrics from a famous Danish aid song from the 1980s at some point says "Africa, the country that every child knows". And unfortunately, that still sums it up today. Even though we know it is a continent and not a country, we too often think about it as one - to the extent, we think that much about Africa in the context of research at all (South Africa being the exception). So we decided we needed to learn more; more about collaborations, funding, culture and so many other things about how research is developing...
2021-10-251h 00Diversity in Research PodcastAbleism in academia - intersectional considerations and the impact on research.Representation matters - and in this episode Dr. Laura Heath-Stout explains why. Laura is an archaeologist, she's queer and she has a disability. We talk about how archaeological findings risk being misinterpreted, the challenge on being queer in an international setting such as an archaeological dig. But this is not just a topic for archaeology or the humanities - this is for everybody, so we chatted about this and how we work with diversity in academia with a special focus on intersectionality. We talk about how Laura navigates diversity now that it is...
2021-10-121h 04Diversity in Research PodcastResearch management from a Global South perspectiveHappy Research Administrators Day!To celebrate Research Administrators Day we decided it was time to learn more about how research management and administration looks like from a Global South perspective. So we had a chat with Therina Theron and Savita Ayyar. Therina is the president of SARIMA ( Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association) and Senior Director of R&I at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.Savita is founder of the consultancy Jaquaranda Tree and she is the lead of IRMI (India Research Management Initiative), a developing network for RMAs in India.
2021-09-2459 minDiversity in Research PodcastHow can we best support the Afghan research community? A perspective from KabulMost watched in disbelief as Taliban regained the power in Afghanistan.Many Afghans escaped but most stayed behind trying to keep society going and maintaining as positive a future as possible for Afghanistan. One of them is Obaidullah Baheer, lecturer at the American University in Kabul. We had the opportunity to talk to him about the situation in Afghanistan and how we can best support him and the many others trying to keep universities running and securing higher education for future generations of Afghans. As we talk about in the episode it is st...
2021-09-1435 minDiversity in Research PodcastThe Lost Voices - postdocs, precarity and diversityYou just have to admire the five people behind "The Lost Voices". We had the fortune of talking to them about the campaign. They started as a group of London based postdocs with diverse backgrounds who found it difficult to navigate academia and couldn't imagine having a career in research. That made them initiate "The Lost Voices" where they told their stories of race, religion, sexuality, ability etc that set them apart - and how precarity made it difficult for them to raise their voices. They did so anyway, and we are in awe of the risk they are t...
2021-06-241h 32Diversity in Research PodcastResearch Integrity - how does it relate to diversity and why should we care?This has been a long time coming. But luckily we found Gowri Gopalakrishna and Krishma Labib from Amsterdam UMC , and they we're more than happy to be part of this conversation of the role of diversity in research integrity. They told us about their own research on research integrity (fx the Netherlands Research Integrity Survey and the diversity of the 7th World Conference on Research Integrity), and why some people in the field do not necessarily think diversity should play a role when talking about research integrity. They also shared some of their experiences of b...
2021-06-081h 05Diversity in Research PodcastThe role of culture in health workers' approach to LGBTQ+ patients - a conversation with Alfonso PezellaAlfonso Pezella is a mental health lecturer at Middlesex University, and he has been part of the IENE9 research project that looks at intercultural training for nurses and health care workers in Europe with a focus on LGBTQ+ rights. It was a broad discussion on the role of culture, the health consequences for LGBTQ+ persons and how training can look in this area. We also talked about how this approach can be used in health research collaborations where nurses and health care workers often play a significant role, and how we can use their findings when working w...
2021-05-2554 minDiversity in Research PodcastJonathan Grant and the New Power University (No, it's not a new boyband!)Jonathan Grant is a professor at King’s College London , and we talk to him about his new book “The New Power University”. Jonathan’s book challenged and inspired us, so we had to get him on the podcast to explain how he sees universities changing in the 21st century. We talk about how the world has changed without universities noticing it, and how universities will have to rethink the purpose of universities and how this will affect recruitment and career paths. We think many of you will be interested in our talk about 'third space professionals'. Us being us we of co...
2021-05-101h 01Diversity in Research PodcastThe EU strategy on global research collaborations; the European University Association perspective with Thomas JørgensenFirst of all apologies for the poor sound quality in parts of the recording!In this episode, we talked to Thomas Jørgensen, the Senior Policy Coordinator at European University Association. We invited Thomas on the podcast to talk about “A global approach to research innovation, education and youth”, which is the EUA’s input to the EU Commissions consultation for their new strategy for research, and education links to countries outside the EU bloc. This opened up a wide-ranging discussion around how we balance effectiveness and human rights in international research collaborations, the role of the...
2021-04-2752 minDiversity in Research PodcastErasmus, Turing - and the future of global researcher mobilityFirst of all apologies for the poor sound quality on some parts of this recording!As the UK announced its national researcher mobility scheme named after after the famous Enigma mathematician Alan Turing to be launched as the new EU mobility programme Erasmus was being launched we decided it was time for a chat about the two schemes and what it would do to researcher mobility and collaboration both within Europe and globally. For that we talked to Nabil Ali. Nabil has worked as an advisor for Universities UK for a number of years and...
2021-04-131h 09Diversity in Research PodcastWhat ARMA learned about being an inclusive organisation and the role of research managers and administrators.Jennifer Stergiou is the Director of Research Services at the University of Northumbria and the chair of ARMA (Association of Research Managers and Administrators) in the UK. She took over as chair in the middle of the pandemic, so we had a chat with her about how that has been. The main reason for inviting her however was to discuss the recent revision of ARMA's strategic plan including a special view on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). Jennifer was very honest with us about what they learned about the organisation in a survey, how they have chosen t...
2021-03-3046 minDiversity in Research PodcastBibliodiversity: How academic publishing impacts the Global South - and what alternatives could look likeWe were intrigued when we heard about the term bibliodiversity and had to learn more. The result was this eyeopening talk with Dr Arianna Becerril-García. She is a professor at Autonomous University of the State of Mexico and executive director at Redalyc. We talk about the differences in how we look at scholarly publications in the Global North and the Global South, how open access models are the standard in Latin America, how the current models promoted by the Global North are strengthening the current power relations in higher education and how it could look like. An...
2021-03-1650 minDiversity in Research PodcastThe power of mentorship for LGBTQ+ researchers and software developers - a global perspectiveIn the final episode of Season Two, we chat with Professor Alexander Serebrenik (Software Engineering and Technology cluster, Eindhoven University of Technology) and Senior member of technical staff, Reed Milewicz (Center for Computing Research, Sandia National Laboratories). Alexander and Reed met at a conference in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois where they built on their mutual interests as part of the LGBTQ+ communities. They are currently exploring the role of mentorship for software developers and engineers globally. We chatted to them about their research, some surprising outcomes and what mentorship might look like in this field.If you would like...
2021-02-1654 minDiversity in Research PodcastWhy do universities need an HR strategy for researchers?In this weeks discussion, we chat with Professor Dr Ludovic Thilly, Chair of the Coimbra Group and Professor of Physics at the University of Poitiers. We discuss Professor Thilly's recent work developing HR strategies for researchers based on the presentation he gave at European Research & Innovation Days in September 2020. We talk about career paths and how we need to think differently about the role of a PhD and the problem of postdocs becoming "permadocs". We also specifically cover the topics of diversity and internationalisation, so we discuss the EU Commissions thoughts on mobility and how an HR c...
2021-02-031h 03Diversity in Research PodcastFinding your place: Being transgender in the STEM world - a conversation with Dr Clara BarkerDr Clara Barker is unique in that she is transgender and holds an academic research post at Oxford University. But how did she get there and what hurdles did she face along the way? In this fascinating chat, we learn about Clara's accidental road into research and how she almost walked away. Now in her academic position, she works to promote transgender voices and LGBTQ+ inclusion across academia. Recently she has supported work by the Royal Society of Chemistry to produce toolkits which enable universities, researchers and teachers alike to ensure they create inclusive environments, paving the way for...
2021-01-191h 02Diversity in Research PodcastIndigenous thinking and how it can save Higher Education - a conversation with Tyson YunkaportaTo start 2021 we chatted with Tyson Yunkaporta. Tyson is an indigenous activist, thinker and academic in Australia who challenges us all to think differently about the way we live and work. Indigenous communities around the world have lived in sync with the land and with each other for generations and these approaches to thinking and knowledge are profoundly different to what we might be used to. In this conversation we explore these ideas, how we can be more in tune with our surroundings and understand the power of simple and complex systems. Academia and the production of knowledge are...
2021-01-051h 01Diversity in Research PodcastAre bibliometrics and university rankings an obstacle for diversity? A conversation with Lizzie GaddIn this week's podcast, we chat to Lizzie Gadd and explore how bibliometrics, citations and rankings can impact on the diversity of research and the research environment. Lizzie chairs the International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS) Research Evaluation Working Group. The group has recently examined the role of bibliometrics in the global research environment and has recently published a Rating the Rankers report, more details of which can be found here. The report and other research highlight the challenges and problems of higher education rankings, citations and what it means for diversity within the wider research landscape. In...
2020-12-1558 minDiversity in Research PodcastAcademic freedom and international research collaborations - do universities need a foreign policy?We are joined this week by Tena Prelac, Research Fellow in the Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR) at the University of Oxford, who is a member of the Academic Freedom and Internationalisation Working Group. We discuss the rise in self-censorship amongst UK academics, academic freedom and what the role of international research funding, collaborations and partnerships play in this. The importance of academic freedom is explored with practical examples given by Tena to help universities navigate the issues involved. We conclude that although universities do not need to be James Bonds they do need to seriously investigate wh...
2020-12-0157 minDiversity in Research PodcastMental health literacy, stigma and cultural differences in mental health experiencesMental health understandings have been surrounded by stigma and a lack of literacy for many years but this is slowly changing. In our conversation with Associate Professor Nicola Reavley, Principal Research Fellow, Mental Health Literacy Programme at Melbourne School Of Population And Global Health we explore how this stigma is changing, what this means for education and support services and what role cultural differences play in mental health. These differences can be important for international research collaborations. You can follow Nicola on Twitter: @AProfNickiR More details about her research can be found here: https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au...
2020-11-1757 minDiversity in Research PodcastThe Nifty approach to research impact - LGBTQ+ experiences inside and outside of Higher EducationLaura Evans from Nifty Fox (@NiftyFoxCreativ) joins us to launch season two of the podcast. Laura started her career in Higher Education by supporting widening participation and student engagement. Through this experience, she could see that it wasn't always easy for her to come out and she felt that many services were missing their mark including missing the LGBTQ+ community. Her experience eventually saw her start her own consultancy company where she supports universities and researchers to tell their stories and translate their research into impactful graphics. We discuss with Laura what it was like to work i...
2020-11-031h 01Diversity in Research PodcastExperiences of race and gender as a black woman in higher education research managementWe had the pleasure of chatting with Saskia Walcott of Walcott Communications in this episode. Saskia has had an unusual journey into the research and higher education sector. Following a career in communications and public relations, she joined the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). She has also worked for universities before starting her own consultancy company. She recently published an article talking about her experiences as a black woman in research management in the UK. We talk to Saskia about her career and her experiences including the reaction to her article, the burden placed on minority g...
2020-09-011h 11Diversity in Research PodcastThe Power of Diverse Voices - Publishing, academia and diversity in a time of global changeVicky Williams, the CEO of Emerald Publishing, joined us this week to reflect on their recent report, The Power of Diverse Voices, which explored diversity and inclusion in global academia and publishing. Vicky explains how Emerald has worked to increase equality and diversity within the company and how they are now championing change across the sector. Publishing is an integral part of the academy and has a key role to play in making change globally, including enhancing the impact of research. Their recent report had some surprising findings which we talk to Vicky about.To access the...
2020-08-1856 minDiversity in Research PodcastDo minorities need to leave the academy to maximise impact? Lessons from an LGBTQ+ HistorianIn this episode, we talk to Dr Eric Cervini about his book, The Deviant's War, his life in academia in the US and UK as well as why he is no longer in the academy. We discuss the lessons learnt from the book which charts the fight for gay rights in the US before Stonewall as well as exploring what this might mean for creating a more inclusive academy. The importance of understanding history and what this means for activism today and how it highlights who might be missing out or not included in our work is an important...
2020-08-0445 minDiversity in Research PodcastThe Impact of Covid-19 on minority communities and what it means for Higher EducationIn this episode, we discuss a recently published research report from Denmark which was looking at the impact of Covid-19 on minority communities. The results are surprising and demonstrate how discrimination and harassment can manifest in different ways and the ways in which this has been exacerbated during the pandemic. We discuss these findings and look at the ways in which this may have already impacted on the higher education sector, staff and students alike. We talk through what this means for diversity in research and why this is more important than ever. If you are interested i...
2020-07-2141 minDiversity in Research PodcastResearching mental health and the impact of cultural difference - Denmark and AustraliaIn today's episode, we speak with Professor John MacGrath who is a psychiatrist and professor of clinical medicine at the University of Queensland. Since 2017 he has also held the Niels Bohr Professor at the National Centre for Register-based Research at Aarhus University in Denmark. Professor McGrath specialises in researching risk factors for schizophrenia and undertakes research from his bases in Australia and Denmark. His experience includes working across international cultures and research settings, working closely with patients within clinical mental health settings and providing mentorship to young researchers. In this episode, he talks about his experiences, the challenges for t...
2020-07-071h 04Diversity in Research PodcastLGBTQ+ International travel in UK Higher Education - implications for policy and practiceIn a special Pride Month episode, we talk to Dr Frances Hamilton (Senior Lecturer in Law) and Cameron Giles (Postgraduate Researcher) from the Law School at Northumbria University about their recent research into UK Higher Education travel policies and how they apply to LGBTQ+ staff and students. We explore how the research came about, what they found and some of the issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community including legal, social and health impacts. The range of policies and what they include is covered and we discuss what next as the internationalisation agenda of UK universities increases. The lessons learned...
2020-06-2349 minDiversity in Research PodcastWhat does an ERC grant oblige when considering diversity? An ERC Consolidator grant holder shares his experiencesIn this episode, we talk to Professor Felix Riede, Head of Department and Professor of Archeology at Aarhus University in Denmark. Felix grew up in Germany, completed his PhD in the UK and has worked in the UK and now Denmark for over ten years. He leads international research projects including an ERC Consolidator Grant, Computational approaches to Final Palaeolithic/earliest Mesolithic archaeology and climate change. We talk to Felix about studying, living and working in different cultures within Europe as well as the challenges and responsibility of leading international research projects from the perspective of diversity and inclusion...
2020-06-1650 minDiversity in Research PodcastDiversity in Research - IntroductionIn today's launch episode, we talk through what the podcast is all about, how we met and a little about the conversations we have had, all leading to this podcast. We preview what we will be talking about in the coming weeks with a focus on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and using cultural intelligence to create more inclusive and effective research cultures, environments and international research collaborations. Contact us using twitter - @Divrespod Jakob Christensen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakob-feldtfos-christensen-1009934/ Lachlan Smith - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lachlan-smith-b414b8a/ Th...
2020-05-2936 min