Fostering Inclusion: overcoming challenges for underrepresented researchers

On 8th July 2025, ICoRSA will host a dynamic online public debate focused on the pressing theme: Fostering Inclusion – Overcoming Challenges for Underrepresented Researchers. This important event, organised in collaboration with CAPS-ACP, ANPG, Eurodoc, YAE, and MCAA, will explore the systemic barriers that continue to exclude many from fully participating in academia and research careers.

Agenda

Academia has long been regarded as a space for knowledge creation and innovation. Specifically, research systems and processes have evolved significantly in terms of research practices, dissemination and exploration of results, management, and funding. However, systemic barriers continue to hinder the full participation of underrepresented and marginalised researchers, including but not limited to women, researchers from minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQI+ researchers, persons with disabilities, and early-career researchers from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. These individuals face challenges such as precarious employment, limited access to research funding, lack of mentorship opportunities, and institutional biases that limit career progression. Addressing these challenges is crucial to fostering a diverse and inclusive research ecosystem that harnesses the full potential of all scholars. 

The public debate will bring together Researcher Associations to discuss their work in supporting researchers facing emerging needs and identifying challenges. Additionally, we will present existing career frameworks and explore how they can promote inclusion and improve career conditions for all. Studies on the precarity of working conditions, particularly in relation to gender, will also be highlighted. The event will also showcase government initiatives of promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion aimed at preparing the next generation of researchers and promoting inclusive science, with cases from Brazil and Canada. 

Objectives of the public debate

1. To identify the key barriers faced by underrepresented and marginalised researchers in academia.
2. To share best practices and initiatives that promote e and inclusion.
3. To advocate for structural changes that address precarity and promote sustainable research careers.
   

Registration is free but mandatory via the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QlXQZs0aQoKDn61G8RWDOQ

Biographies

Dr. Erna Karalija is a plant biologist and professor at the University of Sarajevo, specializing in molecular plant physiology, seed priming, and plant adaptation to environmental stress. She has coordinated and contributed to numerous Horizon Europe projects, including SECURE2, SECURE, RRING, GRRIP, PHAROS, OPUS, MUSICA, and H2HEAT, focusing on researcher career frameworks, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable innovations in plant science. As a member of the International Consortium of Research Staff Associations (ICoRSA), she has actively contributed to addressing researcher precarity, particularly in the Western Balkans, through regional initiatives such as the Berlin Process. Dr. Karalija is also the main proposer of a successful COST Action and a recipient of multiple University research awards.

In addition to her scientific work, she is engaged in science communication, public outreach, and stakeholder engagement, promoting the societal relevance of science and fostering inclusive dialogue between researchers, policymakers, and communities.

Vinícius Soares, Master in Applied Cellular and Molecular Biology from UPE, PhD candidate in Public Health at UFRJ, and President of the National Association of Graduate Students (ANPG).

Dr. Olukitibi is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Manitoba with over 15 years of experience in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, in Nigeria and his PhD at the University of Manitoba with a research focus on vaccine development for influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and HIV under the supervision of Dr. Xiaojian Yao. He is currently investigating immune responses to HPV clearance to support therapeutic vaccine development in Dr. Keith Fowke’s Lab. He has been privileged to receive prestigious awards such as the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship (CIHR), Research Manitoba Dr. Dick Smith Postdoctoral Fellowship and IMPaCT Trial Trainee Award among others. He has also taken on leadership roles in the scientific community, including serving as Vice Chair of Survey and Data for the Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars (CAPS/ACSP) and a Member-in-Training Committee member at the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (AMMI) Canada. As the co-founder of Raising Foundations of Generations Inc. (www.rfgimpacts.org), a Manitoba-registered, faith-based and non-profit, Dr. Olukitibi empowers BIPOC youth through initiatives like the Scientific Spelling Bee (SPELBEC-Science), Scientific Essay Writing Competition and Workshop, mentorship and career development workshops.

Sia Gosheva-Oney is a research advisor and project manager at ETH Zurich. In this role, she advises researchers on EU- and US funding opportunities and negotiates research agreements. Moreover, Sia has been managing EU collaborative projects since 2018 and is part of the EURAXESS team at ETH. Sia serves on the advisory board of the RMR magazine of NCURA.

Scott Bremer is chair of the Young Academy of Europe (YAE), a pan-European organisation of early and mid career scientists for networking, scientific exchange and the science-policy interface. YAE members are recognised young scientists in leadership roles, who are out-spoken on topics of science-for-policy and science-policy, with ambitions to help shape the research ecosystem in Europe. Scott is an interdisciplinary environmental social scientist based at the University of Bergen and NORCE Research, in Bergen Norway. His research is actually about the science-policy interface, and the different ways-of-knowing used to support decision-making.

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