Equity for excellence in academic institutions: a manifesto for change

Lauren Wedekind; Andrés Noé; Jolynne Mokaya; Cynthia Tamandjou; Melissa Kapulu; Andrea Ruecker; Evelyn Kestelyn; Machilu Zimba; Elham Khatamzas; Alice Chi Eziefula; Claire L Mackintosh; Roger Nascimento; Proochista Ariana; Denise Best; Edward Gibbs; Susanna Dunachie; Gina Hadley; Hannah Ravenswood; Bernadette Young; Charles Kamau; Kevin Marsh; Helen McShane; Rob Hale; Elena McPhilbin; Pavel V Ovseiko; Oxford Equity in Academia consortium; Rebecca Surender; Claire Worland; Lisa J White; Philippa C Matthews

doi:10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16861.1

Equity for excellence in academic institutions: a manifesto for change

Wellcome Open Res. 2021 Jun 7:6:142. doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16861.1. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Lauren Wedekind^#^{1

2}, Andrés Noé^#¹, Jolynne Mokaya^#¹, Cynthia Tamandjou³, Melissa Kapulu⁴, Andrea Ruecker^{1

5}, Evelyn Kestelyn⁶, Machilu Zimba⁷, Elham Khatamzas^{8

9}, Alice Chi Eziefula¹⁰, Claire L Mackintosh⁹, Roger Nascimento¹¹, Proochista Ariana¹¹, Denise Best¹², Edward Gibbs¹³, Susanna Dunachie^{1

13

14}, Gina Hadley^{15

16}, Hannah Ravenswood⁷, Bernadette Young^{1

14}, Charles Kamau⁴, Kevin Marsh^{1

17}, Helen McShane^{1

14

18}, Rob Hale¹⁹, Elena McPhilbin¹, Pavel V Ovseiko²⁰; Oxford Equity in Academia consortium; Rebecca Surender²¹, Claire Worland¹, Lisa J White^{1

5

22}, Philippa C Matthews^{1

14

16}

Affiliations

¹ Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
² National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
³ Division of Health Economics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
⁴ KEMRI Wellcome Trust, Kilifi, Kenya.
⁵ Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
⁶ Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU), Hanoi, Vietnam.
⁷ Equality and Diversity Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
⁸ Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU, Munich, Germany.
⁹ Regional Infectious Diseases Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK.
¹⁰ University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, UK.
¹¹ International Health and Tropical Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Medawar Building, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
¹² Oxford University Clinical Academic Graduate School (OUCAGS), John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.
¹³ Department of Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
¹⁴ Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.
¹⁵ Department of Medicine, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.
¹⁶ Harris Manchester College, Oxford, UK.
¹⁷ Africa Oxford Initiative, Medawar Building, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
¹⁸ NIHR BRC, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.
¹⁹ MaynardLeigh Associates, London, UK.
²⁰ Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.
²¹ Department of Social Policy, Social Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
²² Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Higher academic institutions in the UK need to drive improvements in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) through sustainable practical interventions. A broad view of inclusivity is based on an intersectional approach that considers race, geographical location, caring responsibilities, disability, neurodiversity, religion, and LGBTQIA+ identities. We describe the establishment of a diverse stakeholder group to develop practical grass-roots recommendations through which improvements can be advanced. We have developed a manifesto for change, comprising six domains through which academic institutions can drive progress through setting short, medium, and long-term priorities. Interventions will yield rewards in recruitment and retention of a diverse talent pool, leading to enhanced impact and output.

Keywords: Athena SWAN; Black Lives Matter; Equity; Race Equality Charter; STEMM; academia; diversity; gender; inclusion; publishing; race; retention.

Associated data

figshare/10.6084/m9.figshare.13849964.v2

Grants and funding

WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom