28. Embedding DEI: Prof Reema Harrison on building equitable research practices from grant to impact

DEICALD/multicultural communitiesImpact metricsMentorship
Written By Chris Pahlow

Subscribe to the Amplifying Research podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocketcasts

Episode show notes

Today’s episode is a deep dive with Prof Reema Harrison on how to embed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) throughout the entire research process — from study design to dissemination.

Prof Harrison leads a program of research at the Australian Institute of Health Innovation, focusing on how increasing stakeholder engagement can contribute to improved healthcare quality, experiences, and outcomes, and she has published extensively on the use of peer support, mentorship, and co-design approaches to create impactful change in healthcare.

We discuss practical strategies for building diverse research teams, effectively engaging with various communities, and ensuring that your research outputs are truly relevant and impactful.

"Diversity, inclusion, impact, stakeholder engagement are all part of a research approach. They're not something to add on after you've designed a project. They are how you develop work and a program of work and sustain it." — Dr Reema Harrison

If you’re a researcher committed to making your work more inclusive and impactful, or if you’re part of a research organisation looking to better support DEI in your projects, this episode is packed with valuable insights and actionable advice!

Our conversation covers:

  • Why meaningful co-design and stakeholder engagement should start from the very beginning of a research project

  • Practical strategies for building diverse research teams and why diversity in the research team matters

  • The importance of ongoing stakeholder relationships and community engagement as standard practice, and how it contributes to improved outcomes

  • Approaches for effectively engaging with diverse communities, ensuring their voices are heard and respected

  • Practical advice on handling conflicts and power dynamics in diverse teams and stakeholder groups

  • The role of research institutions in supporting DEI initiatives

  • Tips for early career researchers on building networks and engaging with diverse stakeholders

  • How to use peer support, mentorship, and co-design methods to foster inclusivity in research

  • How to navigate challenging conversations and build emotional intelligence in research settings

  • Ensuring that research outputs are relevant and impactful for all community groups, not just the majority.

  • Challenges researchers may face when trying to embed DEI into their work and how to overcome them.

Practical tips from this episode:

  • Embedding DEI in research:

    • Build diversity into your team: Assemble a research team that reflects diverse perspectives and experiences. This helps ensure that DEI is considered from the outset. "When you're thinking about putting together a diverse team, I would think about growing one slowly over a period… I think it’s about attracting a diverse team to a place or a person or a group." — Prof Reema Harrison

    • Start with stakeholder engagement: "Starting with your stakeholder engagement approach, rather than starting with an idea. If you have stakeholder engagement at the outset of what you do, and that's an ongoing activity that you do as a research practice, that stakeholder engagement leads you to great design ideas or design ideas that may have some perceived importance to the target communities." — Prof Reema Harrison

    • Design for inclusivity: From the outset, design your research with the goal of making the outputs accessible and beneficial to all community groups, not just the majority. "Diversity, inclusion, impact, stakeholder engagement are all part of a research approach. They're not something to add on after you've designed a project. They are how you develop work and a program of work and sustain it. And so when you have a shift in thinking and think that way, all of those issues and all of the complexity that appears to come with it, is somehow streamlined by taking that approach to your work." — Prof Reema Harrison

    • Monitor and adapt: Continuously assess your research processes to ensure that DEI goals are being met and be prepared to adapt as needed. "I think it's having really clear, defined goals, like your goals and the things that you're trying to achieve in the long term, really clear set in your mind, so that you draw back from your overall, whether it's a research project or program, or you're supervising a bunch of student projects and trying to build something, you can pull out and say, look, my overall objective remains X." — Prof Reema Harrison

  • Effective community engagement:

    • Respect and inclusion: Ensure that all voices are heard and respected, particularly those from underrepresented communities. Tailor your engagement strategies to meet the unique needs of each community.

    • Engage with the right stakeholders: "So who are the people who are going to be taking this forward beyond, or even within the life cycle of the project? Start with them and then broaden out. I wouldn't necessarily start with a whole bunch of different stakeholders who may not interact well together, who may have really conflicting priorities and be difficult to move forward with." — Prof Reema Harrison

    • Co-design with the community: Work closely with community partners to co-design research methods and outputs that are relevant and meaningful to them.

  • Fostering an inclusive environment:

    • Create opportunities for informal interactions: “There's a kind of a time that we all walk down, we have a coffee or we have another drink, we have a walk back. And on that walk, we talk about all kinds of things. Small things and anybody who's new who joins the team, comes and has that conversation. You start to understand a little bit more about the person and background and some of the things that drive their interest.“ — Prof Reema Harrison

    • Create an inclusive environment for diverse perspectives: "It's so important to try to work with people who are different than you, try to understand different perspectives and views, try to take a position where you reflect on your own views and you might change your own views based on having those wider encounters." — Prof Reema Harrison

    • Practice emotional intelligence: "Learning to not react straight away to your initial reaction. Remember what it was, but just wait until you've had time to actually process whether that is going to be helpful in this particular moment or how to frame it or phrase it in a way that is going to be productive to meet the goals." — Prof Reema Harrison

    • Mentorship and peer support: Encourage peer support and mentorship within your team to build an environment where everyone feels valued and supported.

    • Mentor others in DEI practices: Share your knowledge and experiences with others in your field to help spread best practices for embedding DEI in research.

Credits:

  • Host & Producer: Chris Pahlow

  • Edited by: Laura Carolina Corrigan

  • Consulting Producers: Maia Tarrell, Michelle Joy

  • Music by: La Boucle and Blue Steel, courtesy of Epidemic Sound

Chris Pahlow
Chris Pahlow is an independent writer/director currently in post-production on his debut feature film PLAY IT SAFE. Chris has been fascinated with storytelling since he first earned his pen license and he’s spent the last ten years bringing stories to life through music videos, documentaries, and short films.
http://www.chrispahlow.com
Next

27. Connecting Through Comedy: David Crisante on how to use humour to build key relationships and make your research approachable.