Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility (IDEA)
CGEn is committed to ensuring staff and partners reflect the rich diversity of the research communities we support with our infrastructure and expertise, and that diverse voices are integrated into our work. Embracing the spectrum of identities, experiences, and knowledge, bolsters the research excellence of staff and trainees and promotes inclusion. By continuing to endorse equity as a core value, CGEn strives to create a respectful environment that positions our enterprise as a global leader where diversity, inclusion and accessibility are key drivers of excellence in scientific outputs and outcomes. CGEn also understands that the path toward an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplace is a shared responsibility. The journey towards achieving the highest standard of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility (IDEA) requires ongoing commitment from both CGEn leadership and staff.
Land Acknowledgment
CGEn spans across the traditional and unceded territories of many nations including the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, the Huron-Wendat and Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit River, and on land which has long served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst Indigenous peoples, including the Haudenosaunee and Anishinabeg nations. These sites are home today to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people, and CGEn is grateful to be able to share this land.
It is important for us to take pause, acknowledge and reflect on the impacts of colonialism across Indigenous communities in Canada, particularly in how colonization has and continues to influence genomics and genetic research. We remain eager to hear stories, humble to learn lessons, and ready to continue fostering meaningful and inclusive change.
CGEn IDEA Committee
The CGEn IDEA Committee is comprised of a diverse group committed to advancing IDEA across the genomics field in Canada. This Committee will advise the development of new and/or revise existing practices, policies, and activities to promote 1) welcoming and inclusive CGEn affiliated workplaces that support the full participation of staff, 2) innovative recruitment and retention strategies to increase the representation of equity-deserving groups, 3) research innovations that consider diverse perspectives and practices to expand the breadth of genomics research in Canada with a specific focus on underrepresented communities. Finally, this Committee will scrutinize normalized ideologies to more appropriately reflect the current (and ever changing) cultural climate.
Committee members:
Claude Bhérer, McGill University
Elaine Chang, CGEn/The Hospital for Sick Children
Enoli De Silca, Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre
Tamara Greaves, The Hospital for Sick Children
Heather Yueh, Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre
Natalia Kaniuk, The Hospital for Sick Children
Erin Kraft, CGEn
CGEn 2023 IDEA Report
In April 2023, a CGEn-wide survey was developed and distributed to all staff to collect baseline self-identification and employee experience data. The purpose of collecting and analyzing this data was to guide the ongoing development of the CGEn IDEA Action Plan and to have a reference for measuring change overtime. This report presents key insights from this assessment and suggested next steps.