Katherine has been a Senior Lecturer in Research based at the University of East Anglia since 2009. Katherine’s work is based on the principle of respect informed by her personal experiences of disability. Respect for people with long term conditions (LTCs) means working with them to identify priorities for research, inform study design and outcome choice, and co-create interventions. The interventions are aimed at everyday management, e.g. mediation and dietary adherence fall prevention, and interventions for depression and anxiety. Katherine has worked with international pharmaceutical companies to create a checklist for the quality of patient engagement across all stages of drug development. For the last five years, Katherine has acted as the Access Ambassador to UEA improving the accessibility of the campus and the education provided by UEA. Katherine has a degree in Applied Biological Sciences (Bristol Polytechnic), and a PhD (University of Birmingham).

May Gauntlett is a person-focused designer who strongly emphasises creativity and individuality. With a first-class degree in fashion from Norwich University of the Arts, Gauntlett is dedicated to creating adaptive fashion that prioritises accessibility, inclusivity, and sustainability. As the founder of May Marigold cic, they strive to craft clothing that looks good and serves a meaningful purpose in enhancing the lives of others.

In addition to Gauntlet's work in fashion, they hold a position as a research associate, focusing on creating greater accessibility in technical environments for individuals with disabilities. This role aligns perfectly with their commitment to ensuring STEM and design are welcoming to everyone.

Always eager to gain critical feedback and expand their knowledge, Gauntlett continually challenges imaginative thinking within inclusive design. They are committed to forging strong connections in the design industry to accelerate their vision for vibrant, colourful, and inclusive design that resonates with a broad audience.

I am a research Technical professional, working on the policies, systems, and standards necessary to ensure that science is as accessible as possible for everyone, with a particular focus on disability access.

Prior to this, I was a specialist teaching technician, I combined managing a large undergraduate physics and electronics laboratory with teaching practical skills to students studying computer science, engineering and physics.

As part of the Access All Areas in Labs project, I was seconded to assist in a project that used mixed-methods research to evaluate the experiences of disabled scientists in research, industry, and education. I helped to write a set of access guidelines to promote best practice in disability access in science, and have delivered or co-delivered several workshops based around solving practical problems in disability access in both science, and education in general.

Jeff has worked for over thirty years, leading voluntary and community sector organisations and multi-agency partnerships, working across health, education and social care. Jeff opened a ground breaking fully-accessible residential arts education centre in 2011 and was founder of a STEM free school which opened in 2015. Jeff was one of the five directors of the National Lottery Community Fund's £215m 'A Better Start’ programme, an action research initiative working to co-design and test innovative new services for pregnant women, families and early years children. Most recently, Jeff served as Director of Strategic Partnerships at a NHS Integrated Care System, where he led the establishment of a large and complex Integrated Care Partnership and the system-wide Integrated Care Strategy.

Jeff's work has always focused on equality and human rights, and he has led a number of disabled-led organisations. Jeff has lived with a disability since 2002 and is a fluent British Sign Language user.

Joanna Semlyen is Professor of Psychology and Equality at Norwich Medical School. She is a British Psychological Society Chartered Psychologist and a Health Care Professions Council Health Psychologist. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society and has full membership of the Division of Health Psychology in the British Psychological Society. 

She is a Public Health Specialist in Hertfordshire Council.

Joanna completed her PhD at City University London where she previously completed her MSc in Health Psychology. Her first degree was a BSc (Hons) Psychology.

Joanna's interdisciplinary research focuses on health inequalities and health disparities in sexual and gender minority populations (LGBTQ+) and ethnic minorities. She uses mixed methods, drawing on phenomenological qualitative approaches in addition to epidemiological pooled meta-analytic techniques. 

I'm a third year Psychology BSc student who joined the DALE Project as a volunteer research assistant to build my research experience. As someone with invisible disabilities and who has had to fight for reasonable adjustments to be made for me during my high school and sixth form years, I'm so glad that I'm now contributing to research that will help make institutions more accessible so that students (and staff) no longer have to take on such additional fights.

As major public funders of research and innovation (R&I), UKRI’s research councils, Innovate UK, and the British Academy have a responsibility to ensure a thriving and diverse R&I system, now and in the future.

ESRC, AHRC, BBSRC, EPSRC, Innovate UK and the British Academy jointly provided £3.4 million to fund the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Caucus. The Caucus’ work encompasses all facets of the R&I sector, spanning humanities and science, business, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects.

The EDI Caucus will provide high-quality research evidence on EDI that informs policy and practice in the R&I system. The EDI Caucus is making opportunities available for other parties interested in EDI to engage with our work via a ‘flexible fund’. Funding started in January 2023 and will continue until January 2026.