At the University of Waterloo, it’s recognized that greater diversity of perspective and lived experience among innovators is key to discovering solutions to the world’s biggest challenges.
To gain insight into specific experiences and barriers faced by people who identify as a member of equity-deserving groups, Waterloo’s Office of Research has contracted the services of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) consultants Canadian Equality Consulting (CEC) to develop an EDI-focused strategy for the University’s commercialization of research and industry-sponsored contract research areas.
Focused on researchers (faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and research associates) who identify as members of equity-deserving groups, the multi-phase consultation aims to identify and address barriers and challenges faced by women, people beyond the gender binary, 2SLGBTQ+, Indigenous Peoples, people from racialized communities, and persons with disabilities, who have an interest in commercialization and contract research activities.
CEC activities included conducting a high-level environmental scan of the EDI implications in the broader commercialization landscape (e.g., start-ups and entrepreneurial pathways) and a series of confidential consultations (one-on-one interviews) for participants to share ideas, thoughts and experiences.
The CEC consultation project is funded by Government of Canada’s Incremental Project Grant.
June, 2022