3 Diversity

Diversity, difference, or variety is a characteristic of nature, human society, and the academic world. [1]

  • Representational diversity is an outcome of proactive measures to correct systemic disadvantage, and to create equitable opportunity structures and pathways for the historically disadvantaged and under-represented
  • In the university, diversity may also refer to philosophical or perspectival differences, institutional types, disciplinary fields, ways of knowing, and theoretical and methodological variations, as well as the roles and ranks of students, staff, faculty, administrators, senior leadership and alumni
  • Identity-diversity shapes — and is shaped by — voice, representation, experiences in the workplace and in the research and teaching ecosystems, international experiences, and service and community engagement.

Examples of Diversity in Research Design

Text Description
The image-based information above is described in full below.
  1. Engaging Indigenous youth, racialized communities, or patient advocacy groups from the earliest research stages
    to inform questions, methods, and knowledge mobilization plans—not just dissemination

    • Did you know? Early and meaningful community engagement leads to stronger outcomes, increased trust, and better uptake of findings.
  2. Establishing community advisory circles or co-design protocols to ensure transparent, accountable, and responsive engagement throughout the research process.
  3. Building trans-disciplinary teams that integrate lived experience, diverse disciplinary lenses, and non-tokenistic participation from partner communities—focusing on epistemic diversity (diversity of ways of knowing and knowledge-making) rather than demographic counts alone.
    • Did you know? A study of over 600 participants found that collective intelligence in gender-heterogeneous groups was a better predictor of performance than individual IQ scores.
      • Reference: Woolley, A. W., Chabris, C. F., Pentland, A., Hashmi, N., & Malone, T. W. (2010). Evidence for a collective intelligence factor in the performance of human groups. Science, 330 (6004), 686–688. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1193147
  4. Grounding study design in literature and frameworks that include underrepresented perspectives, such as Global South scholarship, to broaden epistemological bases.
    • Did you know? Drawing on diverse knowledge systems leads to more inclusive and contextually relevant innovations.

      • Reference: Anand, S. S., Arbour, L., Ogilvie, G. S., & Tita, A. T. N. (2025). Inclusive research: A path to equity and better outcomes. BMJ, 388, e082486. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2024-082486

  5. Use recruitment strategies that reach equity-deserving groups (e.g., Indigenous organizations, disability networks, LGBTQ2S+ groups) to strengthen the diversity of datasets.

    • Did you know? More diverse research labs are more productive than homogeneous ones.

      • Reference: AlShebli, B. K., Talal Rahwan, & Wei Lee Woon. The preeminence of ethnic diversity in scientific collaboration. Nature Communications, 9 (2018): 5163. DOI:10.1038/s41467-018-07634-8 taken from Smith, M. (2025, September 9).
        The Excellence Dividend: How Diversity and Inclusion Strengthen Research Ecosystems.

        University Affairs.

  6. Describing how your team’s diversity profile aligns with—or diverges from—your research population, naming areas where intentional change is needed.
    • Did you know? Publications produced by gender-diverse teams tend to receive more citations and have higher impact.

      • Reference: Campbell LG, Mehtani S, Dozier ME, Rinehart J (2013) Gender-Heterogeneous Working Groups Produce Higher Quality Science. PLoS ONE 8(10): e79147. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0079147 taken from Smith, M. (2025, September 9). The Excellence Dividend: How Diversity and Inclusion Strengthen Research Ecosystems. University Affairs.

Examples of Diversity in Research Practice

Text Description
The image-based information above is described in full below.
  1. Partnering with Indigenous, people with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+, or other equity-deserving group representatives to advisory committees or co-design groups.
  2. Building interdisciplinary and cross-sector mentorship networks, connecting trainees with mentors across disciplines, sectors, and lived experiences—not just within their immediate lab or department.
    • Did you know? A review of 82 STEM programs found that mentoring, bridge initiatives, and cohort-building improved performance and degree completion for underrepresented students.
      • Reference: Palid, O., Cashdollar, S., Deangelo, S. et al. Inclusion in practice: a systematic review of diversity-focused STEM programming in the United States. IJ STEM Ed 10, 2 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-022-00387-3 taken from Smith, M. (2025, September 9). The Excellence Dividend: How Diversity and Inclusion Strengthen Research Ecosystems. University Affairs
  3. Advertising positions through equity-deserving group networks
  4. Ensuring supervisory and examination committees reflect diverse
    perspectives and lived experiences.

  5. Inviting graduate students or trainees on hiring panels, governance committees, or program advisory groups
    • Did you know? Participatory governance strengthens institutional accountability and builds leadership skills
  6. Diversifying the scholarship you read/recommend to your trainees by Intentionally including research from under-recognized geographies and historically excluded scholars in reading lists and citations.
    • Did you know? Engaging with diverse scholarship broadens intellectual horizons, disrupts epistemic exclusion, and cultivates more critical, inclusive thinkers.
      • Reference: Medina, J. (2013). The epistemology of resistance: Gender and racial oppression, epistemic injustice, and resistant imaginations. Oxford University Press.

 

  1. University of Calgary Dimensions Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, page 3 ↵

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