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Reaffirming our values and commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

News release

June 9, 2020

The agencies have recently been made aware of a publication by a Canadian researcher in the journal Angewandte Chemie, which has since been removed from the public domain. As the heads of Canada’s federal research funding agencies, we wish to be explicit in stating that we do not support the deplorable views on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) represented in this paper. There is a large base of peer reviewed data that clearly demonstrates that increasing diversity within the research community leads to better science and research outcomes, and more impactful research overall. Further, there is unequivocal evidence of systemic barriers and biases within the research community that impede full participation of researchers from underrepresented groups. 

We are aware of the public condemnation of the views in this article. This incident supports action to improve EDI within our programs and within the research community. The agencies are deeply committed to this process. We will continue to improve our program design and peer review processes to ensure that all meritorious researchers have access to and can benefit from agency funding.

Roseann O’Reilly Runte
President and CEO, Canada Foundation for Innovation

Michael J. Strong
President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Alejandro Adem
President, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

Ted Hewitt
President, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council