In October 2023, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Michelle Donelan, wrote a letter raising concerns about the views expressed on social media by members of the Research England Expert Advisory Group on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).
The actions set out in the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Chief Executive’s response to the Secretary of State’s letter have been carried out, and the UKRI Board and Research England Council have each considered relevant aspects of the issues raised.
Central to UKRI’s response was a well-governed, principled, evidence-based independent investigation of the Secretary of State’s concerns reporting to the UKRI Board.
Following the independent investigation, the UKRI Board has found no evidence of a breach of the Research England Expert Advisory Group on EDI’s terms of reference and no failure to uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life (The Nolan Principles).
