Research England has a long-standing commitment to advancing equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the research and knowledge exchange system. Since our inception in 2018, we have supported the enhancement of EDI in the English higher education sector through policy development, funding, and sector engagement.
Through our Strategic Delivery Plan we have committed to embedding EDI considerations throughout our policy activity and funding delivery, including:
- reviewing the contribution our programmes make to EDI in the higher education sector by working collaboratively with the sector to deliver our EDI action plan
- driving the development of a more inclusive research and knowledge exchange system as a sector leader, funder, and employer, and through enhancing the evidence base
EDI action plan
We have published an EDI action plan for Research England. The plan outlines steps that will be taken towards creating and sustaining the conditions for a diverse and inclusive research and knowledge exchange system in the higher education sector.
EDI Expert Advisory Group
Research England has established an external EDI Expert Advisory Group (EAG) to provide advice on the development and implementation of our EDI action plan. Our action plan will set out our ambitions and activities to advance a positive, diverse and inclusive culture and way of working both for the sector we support and our own people.
The EAG group is comprised of leading EDI specialists, each bringing their unique blend of expertise and perspective to Research England’s work.
The Research England EAG members are:
- Dr Arun Verma (Chair), University of London
- Dr Lexi Webster (Deputy Chair), University of Southampton
- Professor Dibyesh Anand, University of Westminster
- Professor Ilaria Boncori, University of Essex
- Professor Tara Dean, London South Bank University
- Dr Louise Preston, University of Sheffield
- Jane Smith, Institute of Physics
- Rachel Van Krimpen, University of Nottingham
- Stacy Johnson, University of Nottingham
Last updated: 4 June 2025