Canada Research Chair (CRC) Program
The Canada Research Chairs Program helps Canadian post-secondary institutions attract and retain outstanding researchers whose work advances knowledge, innovation, and impact. At BCIT, CRCs support applied, industry-connected, and community-engaged research that addresses real-world challenges.
EDI Action Plan
BCIT’s CRC Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan outlines how we will strengthen fairness, transparency, and inclusion across the CRC program. Through improved processes, supports, and accountability measures, the plan aims to reduce barriers and create more equitable opportunities for researchers and Chairholders.
| No. | Barriers | Actions |
| 1A | BCIT’s Applied Research Plan 2021-2025 contains little explicit EDI priorities or considerations. | Include a stronger EDI lens and focus on how BCIT positions applied research moving forward. |
| 1B | No formal process for how BCIT’s strategic plans clearly direct how research areas are selected. | Clearly articulate how strategic priorities are factored into the CRC research area selection process to allow for more clarity for prospective schools and candidates. |
| 1C | BCIT’s internal definitions of research and scholarly activity have not kept pace with the federal CRC program’s evolving recognition of research excellence, creating a barrier for candidates whose expertise is applied, industry-focused, or community-based. | Ensure alignment across BCIT and with federal CRC representatives on how applied, industry-based, and/or community-based experience meet CRC excellence criteria. |
| 1D | Salary constraints under collective agreements weaken the competitiveness of CRC positions, especially in regards to external recruitment. | Review CRC compensation for both external competitiveness and internal equity, and explore alternative incentives for recruitment beyond salary. |
| No. | Barriers | Actions |
| 2A | The CRC process, from research area selection to hiring, onboarding, and support provided are unclear and fragmented. | Develop clear communication materials covering end-to-end CRC processes including decision-making rationale and authority. |
| 2B | A number of EDI practices related to the CRC process are inconsistent and informal. | Document all informal EDI practices related to recruitment, selection processes, support, and accommodations to support consistent implementation and succession planning. |
| 2C | Research areas are nominated by Deans with limited transparency and opportunities for prospective researchers to engage in the process. | Provide more transparent and equitable opportunities for researchers to submit research area proposals within Schools. |
| 2D | Existing research area selection process does not support cross-school or team-based collaboration. | Review the research area selection process to identify whether structural barriers prevent cross-school or team-based proposals, and assess whether changes are feasible within the constraints of the federal program. |
| 2E | Selection committees lack standardized assessment rubrics, including equity considerations. | Develop a template proposal/outline for CRC applications that include strategic priority alignment, equity considerations, and other required elements. |
| No. | Barriers | Actions |
| 3A | Institutional bias toward quantitative research methods creates inequitable conditions for candidates whose expertise is qualitative or community-based, limiting who can viably pursue a Chair position at BCIT and narrowing the range of research excellence the program recognizes. | Proactively support Schools working in qualitative and community-based research to pursue Chair positions, by ensuring BCIT’s internal definition of research excellence recognizes the full range of disciplines that aligns with CRC program. |
| 3B | When only a small number of well-resourced schools can viably host a Chair, the program defaults to concentrating opportunity where capacity already exists, which limits the range of research areas, candidates, and communities the CRC program can reflect. | In collaboration with under-resourced Schools, identify barriers to hosting a Chair position and develop targeted capacity-building strategies to support the CRC program to reflect a broader range of research areas and candidate backgrounds over time. |
| 3C
3D |
Uneven access to research infrastructure and support means that a candidate’s ability to pursue and sustain a Chair position is shaped significantly by which school they belong to, creating inequitable conditions that are structural rather than a reflection of individual merit or readiness. | Establish minimum institutional support for CRCs covering lab and office space, start-up package, administrative and grant-writing support as applicable.
Develop and communicate clear processes for equitable access to research infrastructure, grant-writing and administration support, and professional development opportunities. |
| 3E
3F |
Inconsistent and inequitable access to release time means that a candidate’s ability to pursue a Chair position depends significantly on their existing workload and their school’s willingness to grant release, conditions that are not equally distributed. This disproportionately affects candidates who lack informal access to institutional sponsorship or advocacy. | Develop a best practice guide for release time to ensure equitable capacity expectations, including clear parameters around release from prior obligations and what, if any, commitments are reasonable to carry forward.
Integrate research and education mandates to increase student involvement in CRC research. |
| No. | Barriers | Actions |
| 4A | Access to resources is driven by informal networks instead of transparent, consistent processes, creating an advantage for those already connected to decision-makers. | Ensure CRC processes, practices, and expectations are clear and accessible, minimizing reliance on informal networks. |
| 4B | Accommodation, retention, and performance management policies and practices for Chairholders are inconsistent and unclear. | Formalize a CRC onboarding package covering accommodations, workload, and institutional expectations. |
| 4C | No formal documentation or data/metrics are gathered related to how the CRC positions are meeting equity and reconciliation goals. | Expand how candidates will embed EDI considerations across their position (research practices, hiring, procurement, and other equity and reconciliation goals). |
| 4D | Cohort diversity is perceived as coincidental rather than the product of deliberate, equity-driven process design. | Implement targeted recruitment strategies, including proactive outreach to specific underrepresented communities, internally and externally, throughout the CRC recruitment and selection process. |
| No. | Barriers | Actions |
| 5A | Mandatory EDI training for selection committees is required, but its impact is questioned and considered insufficient. | Reassess current mandatory EDI training and ensure training is reflective, relevant, and impactful to the CRC selection process. |
| 5B | EDI initiatives and practices vary across BCIT with limited mechanisms for shared learning across schools. | Strengthen platforms to share equity practices across Schools, and formally embed these practices in CRC processes where possible. |
| 5C | EDI terms are inconsistently defined and understood across BCIT’s policies, frameworks, and people. | Review EDI terminology across policies, procedures, and plans to ensure alignment and consistency. |
Interested in reading more?
The full plan explores the findings, priorities, and actions that will help strengthen equity, diversity, and inclusion across BCIT's Canada Research Chairs program.
Read full planProgress updates
Annual progress updates will be posted here starting in Fall 2027.