Abstract

For decades we have talked about gender in research and within the last few years the discussion has been broadened out to diversity more generally. Research managers and administrators have to varyingly degrees embraced the topic, but what about research management itself? Are we about to make the same mistake when hiring research managers as we do in research by reducing people to a specific degree or qualification just as researchers are reduced to an h-index score – ultimately, by making assumptions about people whilst putting labels on them? Can we credibly talk about the importance of diversity in research without taking our own medicine?

We open the discussion on the role of diversity at a time when EARMA is rolling out the RM Roadmap – a project that will create space for debate around the profession and its development in the future. The richness of different views and perspectives adds value to the discussion, and we will bring both context and lived experiences to it. We will cover different aspects of diversity such as gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, etc. This panel gives voice to research managers from different backgrounds on how being part of a minority influences their work as research managers and why it’s important to them – be it as first-hand experiences as RMAs, or in the role of heads of a research support office, focusing on how department leads can further embrace diversity within research management.

The international setting of the EARMA conference enables a unique discussion on the challenges of the internationalisation of research and research management and how it leads to interactions between cultures and political contexts with different approaches to specific protected characteristics fx race and sexual orientation. This discussion will help research managers navigate these complex questions. The panel represents the US and different parts of Europe.

Finally, the panellists will have the opportunity to share their advice to the audience on how we, as colleagues and professional society, can best create an inclusive environment where everybody can bring their full self into play, develop the profession and support research in even better ways.
The panel will of course take questions from the audience.

The panel is facilitated by Jakob Feldtfos Christensen. Panel members, at the moment, consist of: Lachlan Smith (LGTBQ+ perspectives), Rosie Madnick (gender, race, ethnicity), Ignasi Salvadó-Estivill (Head of research support office), Geerte Slappendel (neurodiversity), Rita Gil Mata (Work Psychology and Ethics).

We will try to add one or two additional perspectives to the panel if possible, in the coming months.