Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS)
PA-5: Diversity and Equity Coordination

The institutional Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI) committee meets on a quarterly basis. It is composed of:
- a senior executive
- a representative for each research centre
- two students
- two staff members
- a human resource counsellor responsible for professorial affairs
- an executive member
- an equity, diversity, inclusion advisor
- an extern member

The committee must be constituted with at least 50% of members identifying to a designated group.

Moreover, INRS is part of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Community of Practice within the Université du Québec (UQ) network (regrouping 10 universities). This community shares experiences, practises, network projects, and stays updated on emerging EDI needs and developments. Events and resources are collaboratively organized and made available to the INRS community.

INRS hires two agents for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

INRS is collaborating with the network of Universities of Québec (UQ) to regularly provide activities related to EDI and specific activities concerning the Indigenous context. Most of these activities are conferences or workshops.

In 2023, the EDI team, in collaboration with each of the 4 research centres, organized a workshop related to everyday sexism taking place in the laboratory for the INRS students, and a conference regarding “Pioneering Afro scientists”.

In 2022, the activity “experience of Black Montreal” took place in Montreal and diffused the documentary “Briser le code” (break the convention), the conference “racism into the academic field and mental health”, the conference “the role of universities in reconciliation: Decolonization? Indigenization?”, the round-table discussion on realities and challenges of LGBTQ2+. The INRS also organized a conference on the impact of the pandemic on women teachers and researcher in university.

In 2023, the INRS offered an exhibition called “We introduce ourselves to better understand each other” on every campus.

In tribute to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, observed on September 30th in Canada, INRS designates a day off for its entire community. This day is dedicated to Indigenous Peoples, and INRS wishes to pay homage to the children who were never able to return home, to the survivors of residential schools, and to their families and communities. Resources are made available to the INRS community for awareness of the history and recognition of Indigenous People, and plaques are displayed on our several campuses to physically show recognition given to Indigenous Peoples.

And finally, INRS launched a campaign for 2022-2023 called “United for Ethno-Cultural Diversity" to promote inclusion of racialized members and also a mandatory training against sexual violences.