EDIA and Role Diversity Working Group

How to join us

We are always looking for volunteers, we have meetings every two weeks. There is no obligation to take on work, or even attend regularly. If you would like to join, get in touch by email via [email protected]. See below for more information about what we do and how we work.

What we do

The EDIA and role diversity working group focuses on improving equality, diversity, inclusivity and accessibility in the society and wider RSE community. We also committed to the role diversity within research software engineering. Our activities include

  • Maintaining the codes of conduct for the Society and our events. 
  • Ensuring that data is gathered to give a sound basis for trustee decision making, including data on various dimensions of diversity as well as the needs and priorities of the RSE community.
  • Proactively getting involved in all society activities to ensure that we meet our EDIA goals.
  • Reporting on progress of how the Society has improved inclusivity and accessibility. 
  • Measuring the impact of specific initiatives and actions undertaken. 
  • Liaising with the EDI chair of the RSE conference.
  • Monitoring and improving accessibility of the SocRSE website, tools and processes.
  • Expand people’s understanding of RSE to include the range of diversity found within term

We welcome new initiatives that progress the Society’s EDIA aims.

RSE Landscape Review and EDIA Strategy

We regularly conduct surveys and workshops to understand the RSE landscape in terms of role diversity and EDIA. This, along with workshops, surveys, polls and other community engagements, informs the Society’s EDIA strategy, a living document that continues to be updated.

We are aware that our strategy suffers from our own biases and limitations. We welcome feedback and suggestions. Please email us and/or join the EDIA working group to help us improve!

How does the group work?

The EDIA and role diversity group aims to meet every two weeks for up to an hour. In those meetings we discuss and review current goals, progress on tasks and anything else that is recent and relevant. Generally, the group as a whole will work on a few projects, such as proposals, surveys, analyses, or other activities, and members will contribute what time they can to tasks.

Although we do not discuss anything confidential at the meetings, such as specific code of conduct violations, EDIA discussions can be sensitive and potentially personal in nature so we encourage members to show respect and caution in sharing discussed matters outwith the group.

For more formal details on how the group relates to the Society as a whole, see our EDIA Working Group Terms of Reference.