Our work on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is embedded into all that we do. We have implemented many of the interventions from our previous EDI action plan 2022 to 2025 and they are now business as usual. Here is a summary of these activities.
Inclusive practices in peer review: funding opportunity development and operation
We are committed to ongoing analysis and adaptation of our funding processes to reduce the likelihood of bias impacting on decision making to ensure we have fair peer review.
Peer review approach
For our peer review process we:
- improved our use of ‘plain English’ in funding opportunities as part of the UKRI Simpler Better Funding Service
- are continuing to pilot alternative methods of peer review adapting our approach, with the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) Metascience unit as appropriate
- introduced equality impact assessments which are published alongside funding opportunities
- are following advice received as part of our community engagement focused on the lack of women in large grants we piloted a flexible leadership model in a funding opportunity. This has been evaluated and subsequently approved by UKRI Executive Committee. The UKRI Funding Policy team is now looking to put the model to use
- worked with the UKRI Simpler and Better Funding programme to ensure that policies under development are inclusive and move us towards a fairer system. We have provided expertise to working groups focused on developing harmonised assessment criteria and given feedback on the Funding Service functionality, as well as piloting and evaluating flexible models of leadership within applications
- embedded EDI considerations into many larger investments including our programme grants, centres, hubs and institutes as well as our Doctoral Landscape Awards and Centres for Doctoral Training
- enabled all EPSRC applicants to allow budget requests for the implementation of EDI activities
- have committed to funding opportunities to being open for a minimum of eight weeks unless an urgent business requirement dictates otherwise or for reasons not within our control
- actively encourage universities to run mock prioritisation panels, particularly for early career researchers
- are providing disability support (for example reasonable adjustments) in the application process when needed ensuring all meetings and events are as accessible and inclusive as possible to enable everyone to be able to fully participate
Panel process
For our panel process we:
- have reduced the number of proposals being assessed at a panel meeting
- have introduced silent scoring at interviews
- have introduced unconscious bias and objective decision making training for Panel Convenors and Panel Process Advisors (PPA), as well as briefing for panel members on objective and fair decision making
- are measuring the effectiveness of our peer review interventions, for example collecting and acting on information via the panel member questionnaire on whether members felt under pressure, tired or overwhelmed throughout the meeting
Panel membership
We have improved the diversity of participation in peer review. We broadened panel membership across career stages, roles and increased the representation of underrepresented groups, particularly women, on panels. We consider the funding opportunity type and balance panel membership with the expertise required to assess. Since 2016, we aim to avoid single sex panels and have a target of at least 30% participation of the underrepresented sex. We have consistently achieved and surpassed this target. We are also exploring different ways to increase diversity, and we have set targets for our Peer Review College membership of 30% participation by women and 20% minority ethnic.
We successfully piloted PPAs across our funding panels. The PPA role will be used within our suite of activities to monitor progress and further strengthen the operation and transparency of our peer review panels. The role will provide reassurance to our community on the fairness and objectivity of our peer review processes.
We introduced expert advisors to evaluate the requirement of an accessibility plan for all EPSRC Strategic Infrastructure investments. The advisors carried out the subsequent monitoring as well as upskilling reviewers and panel members on what good looks like for accessibility and inclusion of lab spaces and work environments.
Support for doctoral students
We support people who deliver our doctoral training investments in evolving and sharing good EDI practice. Our interventions include the following.
Working across UKRI (through the New Deal for Postgraduate Researchers) including:
- new UKRI training grant terms and conditions introduced in October 2025 with an update from an EDI perspective
- strengthened the core offer with updated statement of expectations
- increasing the minimum stipend to keep up with rises in the UK national living wage
Within EPSRC we are:
- requiring EDI and student experience wellbeing plans that include the expectation of inclusive workplaces and fair and inclusive recruitment that embraces routes that are accessible to people following a variety of different career paths
- promoting the use of positive action by universities in recruitment
- encouraging the use of enhanced stipends
- enhanced flexibility in use of training grant funding, including building on our existing offer of undergraduate vacation internships
We are also supporting more diverse participation by exploring innovative doctoral training models including the Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) Mobility pilots:
- Brunel University London
- University of York
- University of Southampton
- Queen Mary University of London
This also includes the Centres for Doctoral Trainings (CDT) funded under the supporting an innovative approach focus area of the EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training funding opportunity in 2023.
Community and stakeholder engagement
We provide innovative, pioneering leadership to the engineering and physical sciences research and innovation sector inspiring others, facilitating sector wide inclusion advances through listening, taking action and working in partnership with others.
We are working in partnership with key stakeholders to amplify EDI action across the sector ensuring coordinated EDI efforts. We have frequent engagement with learned societies, academies and special interest groups as well as EPSRC programme interaction with research communities and industry.
We are working with colleagues across UKRI to ensure the impact of the UKRI EDI Caucus on informing and shaping policy and practices in the research and innovation system.
We published our EDI Expectations guide and supporting resources to encourage, support and empower all in our community to be involved in enhancing and embedding EDI good practices.
We obtain advice from our EDI and Skills Strategic Advisory Network (drawn from Strategic Advisory Teams (SAT) and Science, Engineering and Technology Board members). Our advisory meetings are chaired by an EPSRC Council member. This approach facilitates a flexible resource with a diverse range of perspectives and representation and allows us to work more closely with our SAT’s and other stakeholders.
We support and work closely with our EPSRC EDI Hub+ which acts as a focal point of activity and knowledge of good EDI practice The EDI Hub+ addresses diversity challenges unique to the engineering, physical and mathematical sciences research communities. The EDI Hub+ advances change by facilitating cross sector collaboration and knowledge sharing.
We introduced new guidance for neuro-inclusive meetings and events.
We gathered good practices for inclusive university selection processes and will continue to engage with the communities of practice alongside the EDI Hub+.
We continue to support Daphne Jackson Fellowships available for people looking to return to a research career after a break of two or more years for family, health or caring reasons.
We are developing our ‘People behind the numbers’ campaign to make visible the varied and important contributions people in our portfolio from underrepresented groups or groups with small numbers make across the engineering and physical sciences. Placing a spotlight on different career pathways and roles.
EDI data evidence and analysis
We investigate our portfolio, build our analytical capabilities and engage with our community to take into consideration their experiences. We do this to support inclusive decision making and better understand barriers to participation and mitigate against them.
We take an evidence informed analytical approach, using the best available evidence from research, data, practice expertise and experience to inform our decisions to ensure continuous learning and improved outcomes. We use different types of data, including, qualitative, experiential and statistical metrics, to build a comprehensive picture.
We have expanded our analysis capability using intersectional data to gather insights into inequities in our portfolio. We:
- regularly monitor and evaluate our policies and interventions and publish our findings where relevant to facilitate shared learning, insight and knowledge exchange for ourselves and the wider sector
- continue to monitor and explore the use of positive action (for example in panel membership, SAT and SETB membership) in our activities and its use in our overall portfolio and outcomes
- actively investigate our portfolio, build our analytical capabilities and publish our findings
- continue to partner with expert groups to support the intersectional analysis of our portfolio data, such as the statistical analysis by the Royal Statistical Society and The Alan Turing Institute
- develop new ideas and opportunities to pilot to advance knowledge, inclusion and action in the engineering and physical sciences, building on EPSRC Inclusion Matters and our EDI Hub+
Embedding EDI into our research portfolio
We embed EDI good practice principles across the breadth of our portfolio, working with our flagship investments to establish beacons of good practice. We engage with our research and user communities on EDI issues associated with participation and access to improve our understanding of barriers and opportunities to remove them.
A range of activities are in progress across our research programmes that support EDI considerations, these include the following.
Development of theme EDI actions
Local development of theme EDI action plans and priorities, based on discussion and advice from SAT’s and research communities on challenges encountered and potential mitigations. Theme SATs have EDI champions that represent their disciplines on the EDI and Skills Strategic Advisory Network (SAN).
It is important that we have a diversity of perspectives and experiences advising us on EDI activities and plans. We have increased diversity in participation in our advisory groups and set targets of 30% women and 20% minority ethnic for SATs and 40% women and 20% minority ethnic for our SETB.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics theme
The artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics theme are working with their community to address challenges within AI that lead to inequity, specifically the lack of women in leadership positions. They are developing recommendations on how to work collectively across the sector to create change.
Clean energy theme
The Clean energy theme have funded two Energy EDI network plus (EDI+ and Ignite Network+). These networks bring together the variety of work on EDI in progress across the energy sector, in both academia and industry, which is often not connected. The network plus grants promote cohesion of EDI action across the energy research community and more widely.
Engineering theme
The Engineering theme is supporting membership of the Women’s Engineering Society (WES). Every year ten holders of EPSRC engineering grants will be given WES membership, providing them with an opportunity to enhance their understanding of equality and diversity in engineering and engage with EPSRC.
The Engineering theme is also considering the outcomes and EDI related recommendations from their Tomorrow’s Engineering Research Challenges report. The team is developing an opportunity focusing on Inclusive Engineering. To better ensure that engineering products and services are accessible and inclusive of all users to ultimately create ethical and sustainable engineering solutions for the future.
Healthcare technologies theme
The Healthcare technologies theme is working with the research community to encourage consideration of EDI when engaging with patients and the public in their research. They have published several case studies to highlight good practice in Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement (PPIE).
Often people with a similar demographic become public contributors so it is important to ensure that researchers consider a diversity of patient voices. The team have also worked with other funders to sign a joint commitment to better include older adults in health research.
ICT theme
The ICT theme are exploring routes to engage with the relevant learned societies to influence and advocate on widening participation in ICT and semiconductor technologies.
Mathematical sciences theme
The Mathematical sciences theme have regular discussions with their SAT on EDI and are developing a local action plan.
Physical sciences theme
The Physical sciences theme is growing their engagement with external bodies, including the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and Institute of Physics (IoP), to increase conversation and action around EDI, communicating priorities widely.
The theme support Daphne Jackson Fellowships and they have participated in the Conference for Undergraduate Women and Non-Binary Physicists.
The team continues to support the IoP conference and are members of the LGBT+ forum across the IoP and RSC. They were also involved in the RSC accessibility review.
The team include dedicated EDI focused sessions in all their university visits.
A future focus will be on large grant leadership.
Quantum technologies theme
The Quantum technologies (QT) theme has invested in career acceleration fellowships supporting talented ECRs to lead their own research programme and further develop their independent research profile within the sector. The investment in emerging leaders provides them with an invaluable opportunity to advance responsible research and innovation, making it more inclusive and equitable.
Applicants were tasked with impacting the QT landscape in the UK by supporting and growing the UK quantum community. They were required to demonstrate motivation to implement good practice in creating an inclusive research environment. As part of EPSRC’s funding for our five Quantum Technology Research Hubs, we fund the outreach programme Quantum City. The programme engages the public at all levels including schools, to show what is possible through a career in quantum.
Other aspects of these Hubs’ EDI action plans include working with the EDI Sharing Hub, an EPSRC investment that is also engaged in the running of EPSRC QT events, such as our Future Leaders Event 2025 which convenes key stakeholders from across the UK’s QT research community.
We aim to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, enhance professional skills, and build a strong, supportive network of future leaders. This will provide a valuable opportunity for EPSRC and attendees to shape thinking around research strategy and tackle broader strategic issues.
The theme launched our Early Career Forum in 2025, through an anonymous application process. Once applications had been assessed, considered the balance across the forum. Where candidates were of equal merit, we took positive action to prioritise candidates based on gender and ethnic minority underrepresentation.
Research infrastructure theme
The Research infrastructure theme is considering accessibility and the user diversity of our national large-scale facilities and strategic infrastructure, exploring how to remove barriers. They have also awarded 11 Strategic Technical Platforms to support Research Technical Professionals (RTP) careers.
The team are currently developing an EDI and people strategy and action plan that will focus on working with their investments to affect change and give visibility to good practice.
Sustainable manufacturing and mobility theme
The Sustainable manufacturing and mobility theme have funded new Research Hubs that are expected to embed EDI in all their activities throughout the lifetime of the Hub, identifying the specific EDI challenges and barriers in their own environment and developing a strategy to address these.
All hubs include at least one post with responsibility for EDI.
Resilience and security theme
The Resilience and security theme are planning to work with an external facilitation company to address EDI issues which have arisen as we use the sandpit mechanism.
The theme will also be discussing EDI at their next SAT meeting and developing an EDI action plan in collaboration with stakeholders from across the national security and defence sector.
Collective and collaborative working with colleagues across UKRI
We represent EPSRC and our community as active members on several UKRI advisory and working groups, including:
- UKRI EDI Strategy group
- UKRI EDI Implementation group
- UKRI Diversity Data Analysis
- UKRI Disability
- UKRI Inclusive Research
- UKRI R4RI
- UKRI EDI Staff Networks
We work collaboratively with colleagues across UKRI on agreed shared priorities and higher education sector challenges such as:
- inclusive and fair decision making in peer review
- socioeconomic inclusion
- disability inclusion
- evidence, data and evaluation
We engage with the UKRI and DSIT Metascience Unit sharing knowledge on inclusive practices and ‘what works’.
We also work with colleagues on EDI interrelated strategies such as Responsible research and innovation and people and teams.