Diversity in Research Podcast

Open data has been a recurring theme on the podcast - for better or worse. Every year, Digital Science and Springer Nature publish a report on the status of open science, so we thought this year's report was a good occasion to take stock and have a good discussion not only on the status of open status but also on where it's going, how and why. To help us, we invited one of the report's authors, Mark Hahnel from Digital Science, to the podcast to discuss the report titled 'Bridging Policy and Practice in Data Sharing.' We cover the importance of open data in research, the dynamics between global north and south, and the need for ethical standards and education in data practices. The discussion also touches on the enthusiasm of Ethiopian researchers for open data and the challenges of ensuring equitable access and utilisation of data across different regions. As always we cover issues of identity and security when it comes to diversity. And if you can't wait for next year's report - Mark gives us a prediction for the conclusions in the 2025 report at the end of the conversation. You can find the report her: https://www.digital-science.com/state-of-open-data-report-2024/ You can follow Mark on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhahnel/ You can follow Mark on Bluesky at: https://bsky.app/profile/hahnel.org The presenting sponsor of this episode is Digital Science. The episode is produced and edited by Peter Xiong. Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod . If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

As two cis-gendered men without children, talking about motherhood in academia isn't really our forte. So, with Lachlan travelling, we took the opportunity to invite Hélène Draux from Digitial Science as guest co-host with Jakob for a conversation about motherhood in academia with Lisette Espín-Noboa and the role it plays in the gender gap. Lisette is a postdoc at the Complexity Science Hub and Central European University. We discuss the structural issues within academic institutions that disproportionately affect mothers and offer recommendations for creating a more supportive environment for women researchers. We also touch on the role of fathers in sharing parental responsibilities and the positive aspects of motherhood that can enhance academic productivity. We end the conversation with a chat about actionable steps that can be taken to improve conditions for parents in academia, including better childcare options, flexible contracts, and the need for role models. The presenting sponsor if this episode is Digital Science. It's produced and edited by Peter Xiong. You can find Lisette and Hélène here: https://www.lisetteespin.info/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisetteespin/https://www.linkedin.com/in/h%C3%A9l%C3%A8ne-draux-4059233a/ Organisations mentioned in the episode Selected articles and resources mentioned in the episode: Anne Sophie Lassen, and Ria Ivandić. "Parenthood and Academic Career Trajectories." In American Economic Association (AEA) Papers and Proceedings, 2024.Stephanie D. Cheng "Careers versus children: How childcare affects the academic tenure-track gender gap." Working Paper (2020).Scott Daewon Kim & Petra Moser. “BOOM, BABY. WOMEN IN SCIENCE LESSONS FROM THE BABY BOOM." (2020).Gemma Derrick, E., Pei-Ying Chen, Thed van Leeuwen, Vincent Larivière, and Cassidy R. Sugimoto. "The relationship between parenting engagement and academic performance." Scientific Reports 12, no. 1 (2022): 22300.Allison C. Morgan, Samuel F. Way, Michael JD Hoefer, Daniel B. Larremore, Mirta Galesic, and Aaron Clauset. "The unequal impact of parenthood in academia." Science Advances 7, no. 9 (2021): eabd1996. A Simple Act of Defiance Can Improve Science for WomenResearcher parents are paying a high price for conference travel — here’s how to fix it (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01571-x) Lindsey Smith Taillie “​​Being a parent is a hidden scientific superpower — here’s why” Nature (2024)Kendall Powell “The parenting penalties faced by scientist mothers”Cecilie Steenbuch Traberg “I had three children during my PhD: here’s what I learnt” Nature (2024)Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod . If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

There is no doubt that AI has thrown a lot of our conceptions of science—or at least how we work in and with science—up in the air. Digital Science has written a report about it: “Research Transformation: Change in the Era of AI, open and Impact: voices from the Academic Community.” We invited two of the authors, Suze Kundu and Simon Porter, on the podcast to chat about where this transformation leaves EDI and minorities. We explore the evolving landscape of research practices, the importance of open research, and the need for metrics that reflect inclusivity and holistic impact. The conversation also addresses the challenges of trust and security for minority groups in research, emphasising the need for collaboration and a shift in measuring research success. But we also wanted to push them on the challenges in research transformation, particularly focusing on data sharing, trust-building with communities, the role of AI, and the importance of upskilling researchers. While we perhaps can’t avoid this transformation—it can happen in a number of different ways—we must pay attention to who pays the price. You can read the report at: http://www.digital-science.com/academic-research-transformation?utm_source=external&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=academic_research_transformation&utm_term=digitalsci Or watch a short video presenting the report here: https://youtu.be/ZSxKTDZHwuQ?feature=shared You can follow Suze here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzekundu/ You can follow Simon here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-porter-9828471/ The episode is sponsored by Digital Science The episode is edited and produced by Peter Xiong. Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod . If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

Many of us tend to forget that all research institutions are not big, comprehensive universities. Actually, quite a few are smaller institutions either because they are fairly new, specialize in a single discipline, or are based in more rural areas where there isn’t the population needed for a big research-intensive university. But how do you navigate international collaborations in a setting like that? And diversity, if you’re a small, almost mono-cultural institution? Should it be up to the perhaps two or three black persons or gay persons to change that? To figure this out, we invited our friend Rachel Persad on the pod. Rachel is head of research policy at GuildHE (a representative body that supports 67 institutions in UK Higher Education). We talk about her role at GuildHE, their new strategy and how GuildHE is supporting their members before we venture into the topics of internationalisation and diversity. We talk about allyship, the role of early career researchers, co-creation, Brexit and its impact on smaller institutions, REF, the need for policy flexibility and finally we discuss research culture. Rachel’s positive attitude, joy and commitment really come through in the chat, and we hope it will inspire you all as it did us. The episode is sponsored by: Digital Science The episode is produced and edited by: Peter Xiong. You can learn more: You can learn more about GuildHE here: https://guildhe.ac.uk/ You can read more about the EDI and anti-racism initiative here: https://guildhe.ac.uk/guildhe-anti-racism-project/ You can connect with Rachel here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelbrockhurst/ Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod . If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

We often discuss researchers and research managers on the podcast, but publishers are also key players in the research ecosystem. So, we invited SpingerNature to discuss their report “Insights into diversity, equity and inclusion in the global research community.” Sowmya Swaminathan, their director of DEI, Research who also directs Springer Nature's DEI Program in Research Publishing and serves on the Springer Nature Group DEI Council, joined us for a chat about DEI in the global research community and the importance of publishers taking action in promoting DEI. We talk about how geographical diversity is often undervalued, how early career researchers have specific needs and how generational differences are shaping research values. It's a great conversation combining data, reflections and practical advice for everybody in the research ecosystem. You can learn more at: https://sustainablebusiness.springernature.com/2023/https://group.springernature.com/gp/group/taking-responsibility/diversity-equity-inclusionhttps://www.springernature.com/gp/editors/resources-tools/dei-for-editorshttps://stories.springernature.com/journal-editor-diversity/index.htmlhttps://www.springernature.com/gp/researchers/campaigns/dei-insightshttps://www.springernature.com/gp/advancing-discovery/springboard/blog/blogposts-sustainability-inclusion/nature-portfolio-inclusion-and-ethics-guidance/23110194The episode is sponsored by Digital Science. It is produced and edited by Peter Xiong. Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod . If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

Welcome back to Laura Heath-Stout - our first return guest on the podcast! Laura is a postdoctoral fellow in archaeology at Stanford University. She has a new book out: 'Identity, Oppression, and Diversity in Archaeology.', so we wanted her back on the podcast for a chat about it. And while we aren't all archaeologists the peculiar dimensions of archaeology, such as excavations, rights to data, etc., perhaps make them a canary in the academic coal mine. It is a very personal book where she reflects on her personal experiences, the importance of feminist practices in archaeology, and the challenges faced by marginalized groups within the field. Our discussion also touches on the political dimensions of gender and identity in archaeology, the dynamics of fieldwork, and the impact of current societal issues on archaeological discourse. And with the US elections only one month away we of course, also touched on the political dimensions of the issue. We always enjoy talking to Laura and can only recommend her book. The episode is sponsored by Digital Science. It is produced and edited by Peter Xiong. You can buy Laura's book at:: https://www.routledge.com/Identity-Oppression-and-Diversity-in-Archaeology-Career-Arcs/Heath-Stout/p/book/9780367744212 You can read more about Laura at her Stanford profile: https://profiles.stanford.edu/laura-heath-stout Or at her personal website: https://www.lauraheathstout.com/ And follow her on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/lheathstout.bsky.social Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod . If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

Gender equality in academia and research has been a topic for decades. And between that and the #metoo movement, one would think we had solved the problems. Yet, here we are. While we usually say that diversity is more than gender, it's also gender. So we invited Marcela Linkova from the GenderSAFE project on the podcast to discuss the project and their mid-way report and for a broader discussion about gender and how we advance the agenda. We discussed the project, what gender-based violence means, the complexity of intersectionality, power, internationalisation, and the precariat, the term "institutional betrayal," and how research managers can help advance gender equality. This episode is sponsored by Digital Science. It is produced and edited by Peter Xiong. You can learn more about Marcela and the GenderSAFE project at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcela-linkova-a5ba9156/https://www.soc.cas.cz/en/staff/marcela-linkovahttps://www.linkedin.com/company/gendersafe-gbv/posts/?feedView=allhttps://gendersafe.eu/https://zenodo.org/records/13380368https://unisafe-toolkit.eu/https://www.institutionalcourage.org/Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod . If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

Creating equitable research collaborations between the Global North and Global South has been a struggle for many years. How do you create equitability when there is a structural imbalance in the core element of research: funding? And how do you balance the need for global collaboration with differences in values on diversity issues like gender, race, LGTBQ+ issues, etc.? These are not easy questions, but the Guild of Research Intensive Universities (The Guild) and African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) are trying to navigate these challenges through the Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE). We chatted with Sean Rowlands, senior policy advisor at The Guild, about the initiative, the role of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda moving forward, and how they intend to work with diversity. It was a great chat about bottom-up initiatives and top-down policies, insisting on equity, funding, building trust and learning from each other. We hope you’ll all follow the CoRE project and see how they work with equity, which the rest of us can learn from. The episode is edited and produced by Peter Xiong. It is sponsored by Digital Science. To learn more: Learn more about the Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence initiative, led by The Guild and ARUA here: https://www.the-guild.eu/africa-europe-core/ African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA): https://arua.org/about/ The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities: https://www.the-guild.eu/about/ You can connect with Sean Rowlands on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-rowlands/ Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod . If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

A core element of our work is to make research managers key promoters of diversity in research and research management. But sometimes, we felt a little alone with this agenda. Then, along came Kris and Joey. Kris A. Monahan is the President of NCURA (National Council of University Research Administrators), and Joey Gaynor is chair of NCURA's International Region. We had a great conversation at a conference and decided to move to the podcast. The conversation explores their experiences promoting equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in research management in the US and internationally through NCURA. The US context is characterised by political polarisation and state-level bans on EDI initiatives, which impact research institutions. The conversation highlights the importance of having conversations and creating safe spaces to discuss EDI and the need for organisations like NCURA to provide education and training on EDI as well. Balancing global EDI standards with local customs and traditions is a complex task, but organisations can play a role in facilitating these discussions and promoting change. The conversation emphasises the importance of embedding EDI in the research management profession and moving beyond tokenistic approaches. We love the work NCURA have done so far. Will we try to push them further? Certainly. The episode is produced and edited by Peter Xiong. Learn more: You can learn more about NCURA here: www.ncura.edu You can find the part of the website here: https://www.ncura.edu/DEI.aspx You can follow Kris here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kris-monahan-ph-d-9a14a817/ You can follow Joey here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joey-gaynor-452937211/ Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod . If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

Join us in this conversation with Robin van Kessel, a health policy researcher at the London School of Economics, as we explore the intricate dynamics of health data, digital health technologies, and AI in healthcare. Robin shares his expertise on health data poverty, the challenges of ensuring inclusive health datasets, and the importance of nuanced policymaking in addressing these issues. We discuss the concept of health data poverty, its implications, and its impact on the inclusivity and accuracy of health research. Robin highlights the catch-22 of building tools for underrepresented communities without adequate data representation. To improve health data inclusivity, Robin emphasizes the importance of culturally and linguistically appropriate promotional materials and trust-building measures with minoritized communities. We also explore the benefits and limitations of AI in healthcare, the risks of algorithmic bias, and strategies to mitigate these risks, ensuring AI tools are beneficial and inclusive. Balancing privacy and data utility is another key topic, with Robin discussing technologies like zero-knowledge cryptography and federated learning to protect privacy while enabling valuable data use. He stresses the importance of fostering trust in data collection and usage practices. Finally, we talk about the problem of "info noise" in policymaking and the need for clear, valuable information. He advocates for encouraging bottom-up innovation and the inclusion of diverse perspectives, suggesting the potential of citizen advisory boards in research. In his final thoughts, Robin addresses the duality of data-related harms, emphasizing the need to embrace new technologies and inclusive practices in policymaking and research. The episode is edited and produced by Peter Xiong. You can learn more about Robin here: You can read more about Robin at his LSE page: https://www.lse.ac.uk/lse-health/people/robin-van-kessel You can follow him on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-van-kessel/ The three articles mentioned in the interview can be found here: -https://doi.org/10.2196/33819 -https://www.bmj.com/content/378/bmj-2022-071913 -https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landig/article/PIIS2589-7500(20)30317-4 Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod . If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

Like many others, we’ve been exploring the capabilities of AI tools. However, when we started considering their implications in terms of diversity and security, we found ourselves with more questions than answers. We're not afraid to admit that we see potential problems, and we're eager to discuss them. That’s why we invited Avi Staiman on the podcast. Avi is the founder and CEO of Academic Language Experts. Soon after the launch of ChatGPT and other AI tools, he started talking about how to use it in research and research management, including in writing proposals. We met Avi at a conference on the topic in Brussels in November 2023, and we agreed to take the conversation to the podcast to balance the potential and the risks. It was a long but fascinating conversation, and as expected, we didn’t disagree that much. However, it shows that using AI tools, particularly in writing research proposals, requires skills and consideration. We also discuss how AI tools can level the playing field and perhaps even benefit researchers from minority backgrounds. This episode is produced and edited by Peter Xiong. You can read more about Avi and follow him here: You can read more about Academic Language Experts at: https://www.aclang.com/ You can follow Academic Language Experts on X: https://x.com/ALETranslation You can follow Academic Language Experts on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/academic-language-experts/ You can follow Avi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avi-staiman-academic-language-experts/ Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod . If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

Being queer is many different things, and we try to remember that our experience as white cis-gendered gay men in the UK and Denmark is not representative. We have long talked about inviting Professor Sandy O’Sullivan on the podcast, and what better occasion than Pride Month? Sandy is a Wiradjuri (Aboriginal), transgender/non-binary person, and a Professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies at Macquarie University, Australia and heavily involved in the Centre for Global Indigenous Futures. We talked to them about anti-colonialism, queer studies, indigenous studies in a global perspective and the colonial project of gender. Sandy brought so many perspectives and layers to the conversation and certainly challenged us in how we see and understand the world. Happy Pride Month. The episode is produced and edited by Peter Xiong. You can learn more about Sally here: Their profile at Macquarie University Their profile at LinkedIn Their Twitter profile Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod . If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

When discussing diversity, we talk a lot about gender, race, and LGBTQ+ issues. There is, of course, more to the issue – and according to Kathrine Deane, disability is the next frontier. Kathrine is an associate professor at East Anglia University. She has a disability herself, but that doesn’t stop her from being a force of nature – and an absolute delight to talk to. And she doesn’t compromise. She demands 100% accessibility for everybody. She also embodies that talking about diversity can and should be fun. In our conversation Kathrine easily goes from the overarching aims and policy goals to the practical advice and shows us how a lot of this doesn’t have to be expensive. Some of it is expensive, particularly if it comes as an afterthought and we have to rebuild or renovate buildings or labs. We also talk about allyship and how research managers and administrators can support researchers with disabilities. The episode is edited and produced by Peter Xiong. To learn more about Kathrine and her guidelines: You can find Kathrine’s Access All Areas in Labs Disability Access Guidelines now available here: https://www.uea.ac.uk/web/groups-and-centres/projects/access-all-areas-in-labs/access-guidelines You can find her profile at East Anglia University here: https://arc-eoe.nihr.ac.uk/about-us/people/researchers/katherine-deane You can follow here on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-deane-37178047/ Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod . If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

Not all research institutions have a set of courses or clearly defined career pathways for their researchers. We expect researchers to be born with the necessary skills to project manage, plan their career and support research networks or miraculously achieve them when they get their PhD degree. Pedro Resende co-founded Chaperone, the first personalised online career development platform for scientists. We found that concept intriguing and wanted to chat with Pedro about his thoughts on career development and, of course, the role of managing diversity and internationalisation in today’s ideas of skills for researchers. We talked about all of that and how Chaperone addresses this themselves and work with it internally in the company and when developing consultancy and coaching. We also talked about how an increasingly uncertain world affects this and how research managers and administrators can support this. This episode is produced and edited by Peter Xiong. Links You can follow Pedro on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedro-resendescience/ Read more about Chaperone at: www.chaperone.online You can follow Chaperone on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chaperone-online/ You can follow Chaperone on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/chaperone.online/ You can follow Chaperone on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/ChaperoneOnline Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod . If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

This week, we are joined by Sarah McLusky, who is a consultant, trainer and facilitator who helps research organisations and individuals maximise their research and research careers. Sarah hosts the brilliant Research Adjacent podcast where she talks with those working in the research space how they support research to be the best it can be. In this episode, we delve into the crucial concept of being research adjacent. We explore its significance in fostering inclusion in research and research environments, particularly in understanding why many women hold research-adjacent roles. We also discuss strategies to ensure that the research space remains open and welcoming to all. To find out more about Sarah and the work she does check out her website: https://sarahmclusky.com/ And make sure you listen to her podcast too: https://sarahmclusky.com/research-adjacent-podcast This episode was edited and produced by Peter Xiong. Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod . If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

One of the challenges with working with diversity is how some of it has been politicised. In this episode, we explore the case of UK Secretary of Science Michelle Donelan. In the fall of 2023, after the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, she accused two researchers of sympathising with Hamas. The two researchers were on the UKRI Expert Advisory Group on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and the secretary insisted that the group be dissolved. In this episode, we explore the case - and discuss why this is not only a UK matter. Because at the end of the day, universities are political institutions and if we want to promote diversity (and we do!) - then we have to navigate politics. For the rest of us, we hold the advantage of learning from the UK case and applying these insights in our own academic settings. In describing the case, we rely heavily on the reporting done by Research Professional News. Thank you for the in-depth coverage. This episode was produced and edited by Peter Xiong. Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod . If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

Global collaborations in research, teaching and student recruitment remain at the heart of the work of higher education institutions across Europe. The European Universities Association (EUA) recently released a report which explores possible futures of transnational cooperation for universities. Taking an exploratory foresight approach, the report provides the tools for universities to think through how they can prepare for future collaborations. Not surprisingly, some of the proposed outcomes don't look great for minority groups working in or with institutions. We talked with Anna-Lena from the EUA about the report, how it came about and what it means for the future of university collaborations. Alongside the foresight report, key policy messages were released. You can see links to both reports below. This was a fascinating conversation and provides food for thought about how universities can navigate international research collaborations in the future and what this might mean for equality, diversity and inclusion in research. The EUA foresight report: "What if? - Exploring possible futures of transnational cooperation for Europe’s universities":https://bit.ly/UNIFE-reportThe policy messages: “"A renewed social contract for Europe and its universities":https://bit.ly/UNIFE-policy-inputThis episode was produced by Peter Xiong. Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod . If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

Research management has grown globally over recent years, with universities, funders, and policymakers recognising the profession's importance in ensuring effective research delivery, particularly as research becomes increasingly international in focus. A new book, The Emerald Handbook of Research Management and Administration Around the World, reflects this growth by taking a global approach to understanding the growth, differences, similarities and challenges in research management. For this episode, we speak to two of the book's editors (Simon Kerridge and Melinda Fisher) about the book, its idea, and what they hope people will get from it. We also interviewed two of the chapter authors from Columbia (Andrea Navas Calixo) and Malaysia (Shaliza Ibrahim and Tan Hsiao Wei), where we explored research management in their respective countries. The book is available as an Open Access publication and can be found here: https://www.emerald.com/insight/publication/doi/10.1108/9781803827018 If you want to check out the specific chapters that were discussed in this episode, these can be found here: - Malaysia: https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80382-701-820231047 - Columbia: https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80382-701-820231042 We were also lucky to have the opportunity to write a chapter about diversity and internationalisation and how we believe it is now a core competency in global research management. You can find our chapter here: https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80382-701-820231033 Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod . If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

Along with much of the European research community, we're slowly warming up for what FP10 - the next European research framework programme - will look like. Our primary concern, not surprisingly, is what role diversity and internationalisation play. A main consideration, of course, is what is politically feasible, and without naming names - well, we are - some European countries have more conservative views on diversity than we do. So, we decided to look at history and invited historian Kamil Karczweski on the podcast. He has researched LGBTQ+ rights in Poland in the interwar period, and his research showed us that the story is more complicated than you might think. He explains that at the time, Poland was in some ways very progressive by decriminalising homosexuality, one of the first countries in Europe to do so. We talk about homonationalism, what it means and what it might suggest for diversity and internationalisation as FP10 is developed. We also discuss some of the political differences within LGTBQ+ movements - and then we speculate what all of this means when shaping, negotiating and voting on the next European research framework programme. Kamil's research beautifully links personal stories to tell a political story of the past and today. We had him tell us a few details of his work on the podcast. Links to the articles can be found below. You can find Kamil here: University profile Twitter The three articles mentioned in the episode can be found here: “Call Me by My Name:” A “Strange and Incomprehensible” Passion in the Polish Kresy of the 1920s Transnational Flows of Knowledge and the Legalisation of Homosexuality in Interwar Poland “For a Pole, It all was a Great Abomination”: Grassroots Homonationalism and State Homophobia à la Polonaise—A History Lesson from a Place Between East and West Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod . If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

UK politics are never boring - not even when it comes to research policy (which - let’s face it - can appear quite sedate for non-research-geeks). In this episode, we explore the recent spat after UKRI announced that in the next REF - Research Culture would count for 25% of an institution's score which was closely followed by a tender to develop indicators to help them measure culture. That didn’t go down well with a lot of universities, and on top of all that, UKRI dissolved their EDI committee based on governmental critique. That didn’t go down well with the research community. But we liked the idea - so we decided to do an episode on why indicators in research culture are a good idea - and particularly why we should have indicators on EDI topics - and what they could look like. Unsurprisingly, we think universities should be held accountable in this field. We also go into some of the concerns about indicators - and address the questions and comments we had on LinkedIn for this episode. Finally, we argue that this is not just a UK thing. The term “research culture” is travelling to other countries, so we should all be aware of the possibilities and challenges - and have indicators on the topic. In our conversation, we reference: Two blogposts by Lizzie Gadd, Stephen Curry and James Wilsdon: https://www.researchprofessional.com/0/rr/news/political-science-blog/2023/6/A-clap-for-the-Frap.html https://www.researchprofessional.com/0/rr/news/political-science-blog/2023/10/Plans-for-REF-2028-should-be-debated--not-throttled.html Articles by Research Professional (Paywall): https://www.researchprofessional.com/0/rr/news/uk/research-councils/2023/6/REF-2028-changes-send--strong-message--on-equality.html https://www.researchprofessional.com/0/rr/news/uk/research-councils/2023/10/Concerns-grow-in-universities-over-REF-research-culture-metrics.html Article by Erin Cech: https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.abo1558 The INORMS More Than Our Ranks initiative: https://figshare.com/articles/poster/_b_NWB2023_More_Than_Our_Rank_a_preliminary_analysis_of_signatories_narratives_b_/24278587 Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod . If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.