Promoting more inclusive university environments through a project funded by Dimensions Canada
Cirris is proud to announce that funding has been awarded to Laval University through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) Dimensions Canada program. This program aims to support transformative projects in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within Canada’s postsecondary research ecosystem, particularly through the development of tools, knowledge, and practices that foster environments that are more inclusive and accessible to everyone.
In this context, the funded project brings together an interdisciplinary team committed to better understanding the barriers to disclosing personal difficulties and seeking help in academic settings, particularly with regard to organizational support issues.
A key Issue at the heart of inclusion in academic settings
Initial analyses and related work on the project highlight a reality that is still all too common in research and higher education circles: the difficulty some people face in asking for help or disclosing health issues for fear of stigmatization or negative repercussions on their academic and professional careers.
Drawing on a collaborative approach and data collected in the field, the project aims to better understand these structural and cultural barriers in order to help establish practices that are more inclusive, supportive, and tailored to the diverse needs of members of the university community.
An interdisciplinary research team
Partner institutions will join the project led by François Routhier, scientific director of Cirris, including the University of Montreal, the University of Sherbrooke, the Cégep du Vieux-Montréal, and the Cégep de Drummondville. Laval University is also collaborating on three initiatives funded by Dimensions Canada and led by other educational institutions: an online training program integrating EDI into the research process, an evaluation framework for EDI in the research ecosystem, and a toolkit for the college network.
Tangible benefits for the research community
The expected outcomes of the project include:
- the development of best practices to support requests for assistance in academic settings;
- raising awareness of the barriers associated with disclosing personal difficulties;
- the creation of transferable resources for institutions of higher education;
- and contributing to more inclusive and safe research environments.
In line with Cirris’s mission, this project helps advance knowledge and practices related to inclusion, while supporting concrete changes in educational and research settings.
By supporting projects such as this one, the Dimensions Canada program aims to strengthen institutions’ capacity to integrate EDI in a sustainable and systemic manner, by fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing at the national level.nale.