Celebrating diversity in Bradford: reflections on an EDI conference and UPTURN workshop
- Dr Suman Prinjha
- Jul 10
- 4 min read
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are integral to conducting impactful health and care research that can improve outcomes for all groups in society. On 21st May 2025, the UPTURN EDI team was delighted to attend the 14th Making Diversity Interventions Count Annual Conference, held at the University of Bradford. Bradford – city of culture 2025. City of incredible cultural diversity. And the city in which, many moons ago, I (Suman) did my undergraduate degree in Social Sciences. And so I was thrilled to return, this time with the UPTURN Community Researchers, to deliver a 1-hour workshop on ‘Embedding EDI in Health and Care Research: the UPTURN intervention’. The day turned out to be one of deep learning, inspiring conversations, and meaningful networking.
Keynote talks and key takeaways
The morning – crisp outside and brimming with excitement inside the auditorium – started with presentations from prominent leaders in the EDI field. Professor Udy Archibong (Pro Vice Chancellor, EDI, University of Bradford) hosted the conference and reflected on the plethora of diversity statements posted after the murder of George Floyd, current challenges, and threats to moving towards greater inclusivity. She stressed the importance of celebrating diversity and our shared humanity, especially during times of turbulence and anti-EDI (or DEI) sentiment.
Pascal Matthias (Associate Vice President EDI and Social Justice, Southampton University) followed, and had the audience captivated with his compelling talk on inclusive education for all, the importance of compassion, and urgent need for accountability. Inequalities in educational attainment persist and, while universities are good at raising awareness of this, Pascal stressed the need “to move from awareness to accountability…Accountability is the discipline of action…Awareness without accountability is theatre, it’s performance.”
Farrah Qureshi (CEO & Founder, Global Diversity Practice & Inclusion Intelligence) reflected on challenges to EDI across the globe, and changing language and terms. She questioned whether we were witnessing the death of DEI or a rebirth into something better. She highlighted the importance of lived experience, and learning from efforts and initiatives being carried out in a range of countries around the world.
EDI in the UPTURN study
Our workshop started with my presentation on the importance of embedding EDI in health and care research, from study design to dissemination. Ethnic minority (global majority) groups make up around 18% of the population in England and Wales (1) but are underrepresented in health research. This leads to gaps in knowledge, disparities in care, and inequalities in health outcomes. Conducting inclusive research helps ensure that studies address the needs and experiences of diverse populations, making findings more applicable (2). The UPTURN study includes an EDI Workstream throughout the 5-year NIHR-funded programme, and so we are continually reflecting on diversity in terms of the people and processes involved (3). This includes the research team, PPI groups and steering committees, as well as inclusivity in terms of recruitment, study materials, and the languages and formats that these are available in.
Lorraine followed next with a talk on the vital role of community engagement and building trust. This includes listening, learning, and transparency about the study goals and benefits to communities. Patient and Public Involvement is crucial too, and Rabbani emphasised the key role of the five PPI groups contributing to the UPTURN study. We have a broad PPI group for all communities, and four smaller groups for Bangladeshi men, Bangladeshi women, Caribbean communities, and African communities – groups that are disproportionately affected by COPD.
Study materials need to be accessible to all the communities we are working with, and Tahsin gave a practical example of our work with Bangladeshi patients and carers. This included recruitment through community leaders and centres; developing culturally appropriate recruitment videos; and conducting interviews and focus groups in English, Bengali and Sylheti. Ada wrapped up by highlighting the importance of reflexivity, identity and team dynamics. Awareness of, and ongoing reflection on, how these influence the research process is essential, as well as acknowledging power dynamics.
Workshop discussion and feedback
Small group discussions followed our brief presentations, and aimed to support reflection on the challenges and opportunities to improving diversity in health research. This was an opportunity for participants to share their experiences, ask questions, and exchange knowledge and learning on conducting inclusive research. Engaged participants, mostly researchers, were keen to share some critical points:
the strengths of diverse teams with researchers fluent in multiple languages, and with knowledge and skills to work with a range of ethnic minority groups
translation of study materials into relevant community languages, including questionnaires where possible
importance of cultural humility and outreach activities with community organisations
hearing about the experiences of other researchers and sharing learning
reflexivity in the moment, and not just when conducting interviews or analysing the data
awareness of community expectations of the research and how these may differ from what the study can deliver
training needed for researchers to support them to be able to conduct inclusive research
Food for thought….
One of the highlights of the conference was connecting with others working in the fulfilling, important, challenging, and ever-evolving space of ‘EDI’. It felt validating and affirming as much as it was thought-provoking, and some of the discussions on hope and compassion particularly resonated. We reflected on these afterwards too. Bradford is famous for its ‘curries’, and we couldn’t leave without a debrief over some sumptuous food and tantalising flavours. The perfect end to an inspirational day, and a fantastic opportunity to celebrate our first year of working together as a team.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre who provided funding for us to attend the conference.
References
Prinjha S, Miah N, Ali E, Farmer A. Including ‘seldom heard’ views in research: opportunities, challenges and recommendations from focus groups with British South Asian people with type 2 diabetes. BMC Med Res Methodol 20, 157 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-020-01045-4
The UPTURN study: https://www.fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR204401
Author: Suman Prinjha (EDI Lead, UPTURN)
UPTURN Community Researchers
Ada Achinanya
Lorraine Lawrence
Rabbani Golam
Tahsin Tabassum
