Diversity in research, research in diversity

The world consists of countless cultures, backgrounds, and human experiences. Studying diversity is a lens through which we gain insights into these various perspectives and experiences that shape our communities. By studying diversity, we open ourselves to a wealth of knowledge that broadens our understanding of the world around us. It allows us to understand different worldviews and diverse human experiences, and it challenges us to critically reflect upon our own perspectives and experiences. 

Diversity is a powerful force that fuels innovation and progress. When people from diverse backgrounds come together, they bring a myriad of ideas, skills, and talents to the table. It is within this dynamic exchange of thoughts and experiences that ground-breaking solutions are often discovered. Diversity in research is, in other words, part and parcel of excellence.  

Considering diversity in research designs has far-reaching implications for the general effectiveness and ethicality of the findings. It is crucial for several reasons: 

• Including a diverse range of participants ensures that research findings are more representative of the broader population. Failing to include diverse participants in any type of research may lead to biased and stereotyped conclusions. Researchers might unintentionally generalise findings from a homogeneous sample to the entire population, perpetuating stereotypes and reinforcing biases. In health research, we need to be wary of how demographic factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geographic location can influence health outcomes and treatment responses.
• Cultural factors can significantly impact how individuals perceive and respond to research protocols. Considering diversity in research designs allows for the development of culturally sensitive methodologies, leading to more meaningful and valid results. 
• Intersectionality recognises that individuals belong to multiple social groups simultaneously (e.g., race, gender, socioeconomic status, etc.). Research designs that account for intersectionality provide a more nuanced understanding of how various factors interact and influence outcomes. 
• Biased algorithms can perpetuate and amplify societal inequalities, leading to unfair outcomes, discrimination, and negative consequences for certain individuals or groups. It is thus extremely important to emphasise the critical role of diverse and representative data in machine learning as well as the need for continuous monitoring and evaluation of machine learning models post-deployment to assess and identify any emerging biases or disparities.  
• Excluding certain populations from research can raise ethical concerns, especially if those populations are later expected to use the interventions prompted by the research’s results. This exclusion can contribute to health disparities and perpetuate social injustices. 
• “Parachute science” is another problematic practice. When scientists or researchers from more privileged or developed regions conduct studies in less privileged or developing areas they should strive for meaningful collaboration or engagement with local communities.  

Reflecting broader changes in the world of research, the community of ERC grantees and their team members is already quite diverse. The ERC has funded over 13,000 top researchers since its creation. ERC grantees are of 87 different nationalities and are hosted at over 900 research institutions across the EU and Associated Countries. Evidence from almost 2,000 ERC projects funded in Horizon 2020, found that on average their research teams were composed of 60% male staff and 40% female staff. It also revealed that the team members were international: 50% were not from the country in which the host institution was based, and 18% were from some 90 countries outside of the European Reseach Area.  

The ERC promotes diversity in its evaluation of research proposals. Our peer review system is designed to be transparent, objective, and as free as possible from biases. We actively encourage applications from researchers across the world, young and old, women and men. We have special rules that help people to apply if they face issues linked to maternity, paternity or parental leave, long term illness or disability, or seeking asylum.  

In this edition of the ERC Magazine we have contributions from an external expert, an overview of the ERC-funded research into diversity and a more in-depth look at research into diversity, from four ERC grantees.

The ERC’s Gender and Diversity Working Group, which I chair, is discussing what more we can do to promote research on diversity, and diversity in research. For example, we are currently considering adding disability as specific ground for extensions of the eligibility window for ERC grant applicants. Building on our recent conference we look forward to continuing the dialogue with our grantees and the wider research community. 

Geneviève Almouzni

Member of the ERC's Scientific Council  

Chair of the ERC’s Working Group on Gender and Diversity