Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
Our EDI Strategy 2025-2030
At the CRUK Scotland Institute, our vision is to build and maintain a diverse and inclusive culture based on our shared values that allows all our people to realise their full potential. These values (Innovate, Respect, Integrity, Teamwork and Excellence) underpin our behaviours and everything that we do, including in terms of EDI. Our strategic priorities for EDI at the Institute are closely aligned with those of Cancer Research UK, our main funder. For 2025-2030, these priorities are to:
Maintain an inclusive and diverse workforce
Led by the Head of People and Culture, our HR team will continue to monitor, analyse, share and publish our diversity data to learn and drive change. In September 2025, we launched an annual Employee Engagement Survey, which included questions about diversity and inclusion. We also aim to achieve Disability Confident employer status by 2027. Finally, we will continue to review and embed EDI considerations into how we recruit, train, develop and promote staff. For example, in 2024 we participated in the CRUK Black Leaders in Cancer (BLiC) PhD programme for the first time and appointed 5 students with black heritage who started in October 2025. We are currently reviewing our postdoc career development training programme and will consider EDI as part of this, gathering opinions from a broad range of postdocs and postdoc advisors to understand the challenges.
Improve diversity and inclusion across our decision-making and leadership
Our EDI strategy is overseen and regularly review by our Senior Management Team and Board of Directors. These senior leaders are committed to ensuring EDI opportunities, risks and diverse perspectives are considered in key strategic decisions and business plans. This will involve seeking opinions from a broad range of individuals and groups from outside the leadership team as well as increasing its diversity. We aim to achieve a minimum of 50% women in our top two pay grades by 2029 and increase the ethnic minority diversity in these top two grades. Furthermore, we will offer development opportunities that target future leaders from underrepresented groups.
Seek opportunities to address cancer inequalities in our work
Led by our Scientific Strategy Group (SSG), we will establish exemplar projects utilising our strengths to tackle cancer inequalities and engage with more researchers already working in the cancer inequalities space (through meetings, visits, etc.). For example, inviting researchers such as SAMBAI Cancer Grand Challenge lead, Professor Melissa Davis to visit and speak about their work. In the next 3 years, we will develop a reciprocal relationship with at least one external organisation to ensure we hear voices and experiences from communities currently less represented in our work. We will also engage with CRUK’s EDI in Research Strategy.
Engage with our people and wider community in ways that are inclusive and accessible
Led by out Head of Research Management, we will ensure accessibility best practices are built into our internal and external communications. We will consider EDI in our engagement and patient public involvement (PPI) activities, working closely with our PPI and Engagement colleagues. In addition, we will establish a process to provide travel and childcare support for those wishing to participate in conferences,
