IDEA Resources - Ontario Genomics

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I.D.E.A. Principles & Resources

At Ontario Genomics we embrace inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) principles and we strive to incorporate these into our strategic actions.

As part of our commitment to IDEA, Ontario Genomics has taken the following steps:

Put in place an internal IDEA Committee composed of staff and leadership representatives and tasked to leverage internal and external resources to increase competencies and develop a short-, medium- and long-term Action Plan for a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment within our organization and our community.
Signed on to the Government of Canada’s 50-30 Challenge thereby committing to increasing representation of women at the Senior Management and Board of Directors level (aiming towards gender parity [“50%”]) and working towards significant representation (“30%”) of other under-represented groups: racialized persons including Black Canadians, persons living with disabilities (including invisible and episodic disabilities), Canadians who identify as LGBTQ2+, and Indigenous peoples.

IDEA Statement

As an evidence-based, science-driven organization, Ontario Genomics knows that a dedication to the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) is paramount to realizing our mission of Healthy People, Healthy Economy, Healthy Planet through Genomics Innovations. We encourage defining our work in genomics with equity at its center. This extends to our hiring philosophy, wherein we strive to recruit and retain talent that represents the diversity in the populations that we serve. More specifically, Ontario Genomics exemplifies these principles by:

INCLUSION

We celebrate, create space, and amplify the perspectives, voices, values, and needs of people who experience systemic barriers, mistreatment, or disadvantages based on their identities and abilities. Inclusion is about listening and incorporating a diversity of voices, even when they challenge the status quo. It is about promoting an institutional culture and practices to ensure all can experience a welcoming space of fairness, dignity, human flourishing, and a feeling of belonging.

DIVERSITY

We encourage a holistic, data-driven point-of-view that incorporates many backgrounds, based on the countless visible and invisible facets of diversity. Diversity drives the principals of IDEA but in and of itself is not sufficient. We are committed cultivating an environment in which those who have been historically disadvantaged and are currently under-represented feel welcome, valued, and psychologically safe within the community.

EQUITY

We approach our work with a vigilant eye towards justice and fairness to ensure everyone has access to the same opportunities and resources, while acknowledging and considering systemic barriers and differing life experiences. An equitable workplace requires identifying patterns of inequities and making changes to systems, cultures and processes that obstruct members of the community from achieving their full potential.

ACCESSIBILITY

We work to accommodate the individual needs and preferences of our team, partners, and stakeholders. Accessibility is a foundational principle necessary for the removal of barriers to equitable participation in all aspects of life by people living with diverse visual, motor, auditory, learning, and cognitive abilities. It requires designing environments, programs, services, and products from the outset, so they are accessible to people living with various abilities.

IDEA Resource Library

Explore our resource list, part of our ongoing commitment to fostering inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. Find articles, guides, and workshops to empower yourself and your organization in fostering inclusivity and addressing systemic barriers. This list is always evolving, so let us know if there’s something we should include at IDEA@ontariogenomics.ca

University Health Network (Toronto) – IDEA Resources:
Resource library focused on implementing IDEA-related best practices for research design, grant preparation, unconscious bias, and peer review.
University of Toronto – EDI in Research & Innovation – Resources:
Resources related to Tri-Council funding requirements, creating inclusive research environments, integrating EDI into research development & design, and helpful video webinars.
Toronto Metropolitan University – EDI in Scholarly, Research, and Creative (SRC) activities:
Provides a variety of helpful resources relating to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in SRC activities. Includes links to many of the university’s EDI resources as well as to a range of Canadian and International EDI resources and toolkits.
University of Ottawa – EDI Resources:
An excellent library of peer-reviewed publications on a wide variety of subjects related to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. Includes resources on LGBTQI2S+, Indigenous groups, bilingualism, and disability advocacy, among others.
Public Service Alliance of Canada – Anti-Racism Resources:
Library of anti-racism resources, including PSAC webinars.
The Micropedia of Microaggressions:
A web-based resource library of microaggressions with easy-to-understand reasoning behind why certain phrases, actions, and common tropes can be problematic. These micro-aggressions are broken out into various categories based on their subject matter (e.g., class-based, gender, and race)
Report: Status of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) in Canada’s Life Sciences Sector (July 2023) – Inclusive Life Sciences Collaboration (Life Sciences Ontario, Shift Health, Pfizer, and adMare Bioinnovations)
Informed by the findings from a national survey of life sciences organizations and focus groups with diverse individuals working in the sector. With a focus on highlighting differences between small/medium and large organizations, the report uncovers where life sciences organizations have made progress in IDEA, how IDEA initiatives have impacted individuals working in the sector, and, importantly, immediate opportunities and recommendations to guide organizations to make progress in IDEA.
Ontario Genomics is a proud participant in the 50-30 Challenge:
Find out more about how the 50 – 30 Challenge will support diversity actions already taking place in many Canadian organizations and encourage other Canadian organizations to adopt practices to improve equity.
Government of Canada:

Land Acknowledgement

Ontario Genomics would like to acknowledge

that our office is situated in Tkaronto, or Toronto, on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, Haudenosaunee, and Huron-Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. This land is covered under several treaties, including the Toronto Purchase (Treaty 13) and the Dish with One Spoon Agreement. The closest community is the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. To acknowledge the historical and present-day injustices and support our team’s reconciliation work, we strive for continuous learning about the history of and present-day injustices impacting Indigenous peoples across Ontario, Canada and the world.