Want to get involved in EDI at D2R? Join one of our EDI communities of practices!

In 2025, D2R piloted two EDI Communities of Practice (CoPs): one for trainees and one for employees and research staff. Thanks to the strong engagement and positive feedback received, both CoPs will now become annual initiatives. Interested in joining? Read on for all the details.

EDI community of practice for trainees

What they worked on in 2025-2026:

Thanks to the contributions of CoP members Kate Bornais, Benjamin Kaufman, Alexander Chan, Kevin Slezak, Alice Morgunova, and Leonor Tavares de Pina Sim玫es, D2R hosted an event on EDI Missteps: Solutions, Strategies, and Successful Practices.

What to expect if you join:

• One hour CoP meetings on Thursdays from 11 am to 12 pm on October 1, November 5, December 3, January 28, February 11, March 11 and April 29;
• One to two hours per month of work outside of the CoP meetings.

Ideas for projects we can co-create together: Organize another EDI trainee-led event; co-create guidelines to clarify expectations and support trainee progression in the field of RNA research; showcase and promote EDI success stories from across the D2R community; co-develop strategies to integrate EDI principles into everyday academic and research practices.

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EDI community of practice for professors and research staff

What they worked on in 2025-2026:

Thanks to the contributions of CoP members Ma鈥檔 Zawati, Silvia Vidal, Claude Bh茅rer, Amirah Iman-Hicks, Johans Fakhoury, Raquel Cuella Martin, and Heather Melichar, D2R has begun developing guidelines on EDI best practices for research environments.

What to expect if you join:

• One hour CoP meetings on Thursdays from 12 to 1 pm on October 1, November 5, December 3, January 28, February 11, March 11 and April 291 to 2 hours per month of work outside of the CoP meetings.

Ideas for projects we can co-create together: Co-create guidelines on EDI best practices in research environments; co-create guidelines to clarify expectations and support trainee progression in the field of RNA research; highlight and share EDI success stories from across the D2R community; co-develop strategies to integrate EDI principles into everyday academic and research activities.