Effective December 2017, the Canada Research Chairs Program required all institutions with 5 or more chairs to develop their own Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plans to ensure that recruitment to CRC positions is undertaken in a manner that provides access to the greatest range of qualified candidates. 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ fully supports this recruitment strategy, which aligns with the University's cross-cutting institutional objectives, strategies, and management of EDI more broadly. Our plan was developed in consultation with the following stakeholder communities for their feedback:

• President’s leadership team (P7)
• Vice-President (Research and Innovation) leadership team
• Faculty Deans
• Faculty Associate Deans (Research)
• 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ CRCs (Tier 1 and Tier 2)
• Equity Team – Office of the Provost and Executive Vice-President (Academic)
• Joint Board-Senate Committee on Equity
• MAUT

Pursuant to this broad consultation process, 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ’s CRC EDI Plan was approved by University leadership. Responsibility for oversight and implementation of the Plan rests with the Acting Associate Provost (Academic Policies & Faculty Affairs).

Read The Full Plan Here

Institutions are required to report annually to the CRC program on the progress being made in implementing their EDI Action Plan:

EDI Progress Report 2021-22 - 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ

EDI Progress Report 2018 - 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ

From reporting year 2024 onward, institutions are required to post the EDI section (Section 3) of the Institutional Report.

Reference period: 1 April 2024 - 31 March 2025

Key EDI Action

Describe the key action that was undertaken.

Special Open Call for First Nations, Inuit and Métis applicants (launched November 2024)

In November 2024, 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ launched a CRC Special Open Call for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis applicants, advertised jointly with up to four tenure-stream positions. This initiative responds to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action and aligns with the Provost’s Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education, which set a target of at least 35 Indigenous tenure-track or tenured professors by 2032. The process incorporated equity safeguards from the CRC EDI Action Plan, including mandatory EDI training for selection committees, Indigenous representation in search and review activities, use of equivalency classes for comparably qualified candidates, and clear guidance on accommodations and fair consideration of career interruptions.

Did this action relate to an objective named in your CRCP EDI Action Plan?

Yes
No

Briefly describe the related objective.

This action aligns with Global Objective #1 of the CRC EDI Action Plan: Meet and/or surpass the EDI targets set for the University by the CRC Programs. The initiative directly supports meeting and exceeding institutional targets for Indigenous Peoples at both Tier 1 and Tier 2 CRC levels, and advances Objective #2 by clarifying supports and accommodations for equitable recruitment and retention.

Describe outcomes and impacts this action supported during the reporting period.

The Special Open Call advanced 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ’s commitment to truth and reconciliation and equity by actively recruiting Indigenous scholars for CRC and tenure-stream roles and increasing institutional awareness and engagement around Indigenous hiring. The process engaged the CRC EDI Action Plan, including mandatory EDI training, Indigenous representation in committees, and fair evaluation practices.

The initiative broadened outreach to Indigenous communities and strengthened internal capacity for inclusive hiring, setting a precedent for future CRC calls. While final appointments are pending, the action has already contributed to exceeding CRC equity targets and operationalizing supports for equitable recruitment and retention.

Describe any challenges encountered in undertaking this action, and any mitigation strategies that were employed.

Challenge:ÌýRecruitment activities required additional time because the candidate pool was broad and involved multiple Faculties. Coordinating input across these units, while ensuring appropriate representation and adherence to EDI principles, added complexity to the process.

Mitigation:ÌýWe implemented a centrally coordinated review process that included representatives from each relevant Faculty, Indigenous members of 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ’s academic staff, and Indigenous community members. This structure supported consensus-building and helped maintain transparency and fairness throughout the selection process. Clear timelines and regular check-ins were established to keep the process on track and minimize delays as much as possible.

Challenge:ÌýWe are deeply concerned that the recruitment of CRC Tier 1 Indigenous candidates leads Canadian institutions to compete to attract eligible candidates rather than provide new opportunities, i.e. grow the total number of Tier 1, because the pool of Indigenous persons from Canada who are sufficiently advanced in their career is quite narrow, which we recognize is a result of systemic barriers faced by members of these communities.

Mitigation:ÌýWe are working with our Faculties to launch new Tier 1 CRC calls in disciplines with strong Indigenous representation. Additionally, we are exceeding Tier 2 equity targets to help build a national pipeline of future Tier 1 candidates.

Was funding from the CRCP EDI stipend used for this action?

Yes
No

Describe the key action that was undertaken.

Internal capacity building across campus

91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ strengthened internal capacity to support equity in research, teaching, and recruitment by maintaining and coordinating campus initiatives through the Equity team and partners. The Senior Research Equity Advisor provided guidance and training to researchers, research teams, and selection committees to embed equity expectations in day‑to‑day practice and recruitment processes (including for CRC nominations).

Did this action relate to an objective named in your CRCP EDI Action Plan?

Yes
No

Briefly describe the related objective.

Aligned to the CRC EDI Action Plan Global Objective #2: Ensure robust and equitable support for all chairholders to promote their full capacity for research excellence and success, and Part 4 (education, recognition, engagement). Capacity‑building and advising help sustain inclusive conditions that support CRC chairholders and candidates.

Research demonstrates that achieving an equitable, diverse, and inclusive work environment leads to increased excellence, innovation, and impact. A diversity of experiences, perspectives and voices is fundamental to achieving excellent research.

Describe outcomes and impacts this action supported during the reporting period.

Targeted efforts addressed anti‑Black racism, anti‑Semitism, and Islamophobia through educational events, resource sharing, community dialogues, and commemorative activities. These initiatives supported a more informed and supportive climate for CRC activity by: (i) increasing access to equity advising for researchers and committees; (ii) improving awareness of inclusive practices and available accommodations; and (iii) offering focused programming to help foster respectful dialogue. These activities contributed to community building and retention, and complemented CRC recruitment and nomination by reinforcing shared expectations for respectful conduct, fair consideration of diverse career paths, and culturally responsive support.

Describe any challenges encountered in undertaking this action, and any mitigation strategies that were employed.

Challenges: Building internal capacity for equity required sustained engagement across diverse campus groups and balancing multiple priorities. Examples include: ensuring access to accessible resources, coordinating programming, or fostering participation in equity initiatives.

Mitigation: The expertise of the Senior Research Equity Advisor and the Equity team within the Office of the Provost and Executive VP (Academic) provided tailored training, guidance, and support. Targeted programming on anti-Black racism, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia was adapted to address specific community needs, and feedback mechanisms were used to refine initiatives and ensure relevance.

Was funding from the CRCP EDI stipend used for this action?

Yes
No

Describe the key action that was undertaken.

Recruitment and training for equitable CRC searches

Did this action relate to an objective named in your CRCP EDI Action Plan?

Yes
No

Briefly describe the related objective.

Aligned to the CRC EDI Action Plan Global Objective #1: Meet and/or surpass the EDI targets set for the University by the CRC Programs, supported by Part 1 (employee systems review, training, data‑driven hiring, accommodations) and Part 2 (SIRC oversight and nomination processes).

Describe outcomes and impacts this action supported during the reporting period.

91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ maintained equity measures across CRC recruitment and nomination. Search and nomination committees including the Standing Internal Review Committee which selects CRC nominations, completed mandatory EDI training; shortlists were verified centrally to confirm compliance with equity requirements; and, where candidates were comparably qualified, committees applied selection within equivalency classes. Applicant and employee equity data was collected voluntarilty, including confidentiality safeguards, and informed outreach, shortlist composition, and reviews. Guidance on accommodations and the fair consideration of leaves and career interruptions was reiterated in postings and at committee meetings. These measures were intended to enhance consistency, transparency, and fairness at each stage—pool development, short-listing, and selection.

Was funding from the CRCP EDI stipend used for this action?

Yes
No

CRCP Stipend for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Rate the importance the CRCP Stipend for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion has had on your institution in making progress in implementing measures to address systemic barriers

Not important
Somewhat important
Important
Very important
Do not know
Not applicable

Other EDI initiatives

Provide an example of an EDI initiative underway at the institution – that is broader than those tied to the CRCP that is expected to address systemic barriers and foster an equitable, diverse and inclusive research environment.

For example, are there projects underway that underscore the importance of EDI to research excellence? Is there additional training being offered to the faculty at large? Are there initiatives to improve the campus climate? ÌýNote that collecting this information is a requirement of the 2019 Addendum to the 2006 Canadian Human Rights Settlement Agreement (clause 39.e) and provides context for the work the institution is doing in addressing barriers for the CRCP.

91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ launched the 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Accessibility Strategy (MAS) to help identify and address systemic barriers across university life. A draft MAS was released in October 2024, followed by broad consultations during this reporting period with students, faculty, staff, and institutional partners, with particular attention to input from people with lived experience of disability. Feedback from these consultations, together with advice from academic leadership and governance, informed revisions to the draft.

Just subsequent to the end of the reporting period in April 2025, the MAS was presented to Senate as an extension of the University’s EDI Strategic Plan, marking the shift from development to implementation. The Strategy sets out a five‑year approach focused on student experience, workforce, physical and digital environments, research and knowledge, and community outreach. It includes a commitment to issue at least two CRC Open Calls in areas that advance knowledge and engagement with disability, accessibility, and universal design topics by 2029.

The Accessibility Strategy Implementation Committee, which includes representatives from key administrative units as well as students, staff, and faculty with lived experience of disability. The Committee will guide rollout and help monitor progress over the next five years.

More information can be foundÌý.

91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ’s Canada Research Chair (CRC) jobs are advertised centrally on the Provost’s website. Consult the list of current and archived ads atÌýCRC Opportunities.

91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ adheres to the .Ìý

Employment equity objectives and processes are set by 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ's Employment Equity Policy. Pursuant to this policy, the University commits to building an equitable, diverse and inclusive workforce. For more information, please consult the latestÌýBiennial Report on Employment Equity to 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Senate.

All policies and procedures related to the employment of academic staff can be found on the website.

Where applicable 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ will adhere to the CRC program's . Relevant statements will be posted at on the CRC Opportunities website.

The Tri-Agency Institutional Program Secretariat (TIPS) has set a for institutions to establish equity and diversity targets. The program’s targets are set using an availability approach. Availability is determined by estimating the representation of a designated group within the pool of potential nominees. The percentage of the estimated representation becomes the target to be met. The difference between this target and the percentage of current Chairs who are members of that designated group becomes the equity gap to be addressed.

91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ's Equity and Diversity Targets and Gaps as of July 2025 are shown below. Where no gap exists, 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ currently meets or surpasses the minimally accepted target for a Designated Group. OurÌýtarget-setting tool from June 2021 is also available: Equity Target-Setting Tool - June 2021

Designated Group	Representation (Number of Chairs)	Rep	Meeting 2025 Target (Y/N)
Indigenous Peoples	4	**	N
Persons with Disabilities	10	18	Y
Racialized Individuals	31	54	Y
Women and Gender Equity-Seeking Groups*	65	75	Y

*Individuals who self-identify as women, transgender, gender-fluid, nonbinary and Two-Spirit contribute to the program’s equity targets and are reported in theÌýÌýin the category in which they self-identify.

**To protect the privacy of chairholders, numbers less than five and associated percentages have been omitted, in alignment with the Privacy Act.

Institutions that have received an average of $100,000 or more from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) each year in the three years prior to the year of the allocation are eligible for regular Chairs.

The allocation method for regular Chairs pools together each granting agency's funding for all universities and allocates Chairs based on the portion of the granting agency's funding that each eligible institution has received. The funding received by each eligible university over three years is calculated. The portion of granting agency support that each eligible institution holds in this grand total determines the number of Chairs allocated (i.e., the percentage of funding secured = the percentage of Chairs allocated).

91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ’s chair allocation isÌýpresented in theÌý Allocation and Utilization of Canada Research Chairs at 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ