Updates to program requirements to improve equity and diversity efforts

September 10, 2018

The program has implemented the following changes to its requirements that institutions must follow:

• new requirements for recruiting and nominating Canada Research Chairs; and
• an Institutional Attestation – Recruitment and Nomination Process Form, which a designated senior institutional official must complete and sign for each nomination.

Other changes to the program include:

• the Institutional Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Progress Report, which is due December 15;  
• a formal review of all institutional action plans and their corresponding progress reports by an panel of equity, diversity and inclusion experts;
• a Self-Identification Form, which all nominees must complete with their nomination.
• an update to the Best Practices Guide for Recruitment, Hiring and Retention; and
• a certificate of completion for the unconscious bias module, which is now provided at the end of the module.

For further guidance on these requirements, refer to the frequently asked questions and to the program’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Requirements and Practices page.

In May 2017, the program launched its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan and called on all institutions to strengthen their efforts to address the underrepresentation among chairholders of the four designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities).

We are pleased to share that, in the last year, important milestones have been achieved in improving the program’s governance, transparency, and monitoring of equity, diversity and inclusion. Based on recent nomination trends, it is clear that institutions are responding and making important efforts. We wish to thank institutions for their efforts and recognize the progress to date.

For more information on these milestones and the implementation of the action plan, read an open letter to institutions. You can also review updates to the action plan.