7 The EDI Canvas Tool

It is time for you to practice!

The EDI Canvas Tool was created by the Office of the Associate Dean Research (Grant Development), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary to help researchers translate equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) commitments into concrete, actionable steps.

This is a quick, visual way to map how EDIA principles intersect with your research design and practice—from team composition and recruitment to data collection, dissemination, and community engagement.

Think of it as a “big-picture” snapshot of how your project advances equitable research excellence

What's the EDI Canvas Tool?

 

A one-page visual planning tool inspired by the Business Model Canvas. Helps you embed EDIA and Sex and Gender-Based Analysis (SGBA/+) across: o Research Practice: team composition, mentorship, lab culture. o Research Design: study methods, participant inclusion, and knowledge mobilization. • Designed as a living document—you revisit and refine it as your project grows.

How to Use It?

This tool is meant to evolve with your project—come back to it often and update as you go.

Use the fillable PDF to collaborate with your team. Each section guides you to reflect on a key aspect of your work.

Project Planning Toolkit – The EDI Canvas (Click to download)

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Inclusive Research Excellence Learning Suite Copyright © 2026 by Equitable Pathways Accelerator is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book