Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Our Commitment
The Royal Irish Academy (RIA) is committed to fostering a culture of equity and inclusion across all our activities and programmes. The Vice President for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion chairs the EDI Committee, which reports directly to the Council. The EDI committee is comprised of RIA Members (MRIA), staff (RIA) and external experts. It identifies short-, medium-, and long-term EDI priorities and defines an actionable workplan, addressing the EDI agenda for the RIA as both an employer and a membership organisation.
The current EDI committee members are:
- Lorraine O’Driscoll MRIA (Chair)
- Dan Carey MRIA
- Matthew Cannon Technological University of the Shannon (TUS)
- Andrea Ciribuco MYAI
- Rose Anne Kenny MRIA
- Gerardine Meaney MRIA
- John Morison MRIA
- Grace Mulcahy MRIA
- Afshin Samali MRIA
- Agata Western RIA
Key Initiatives
Diversity and Inclusion Statement
Under our Strategic Plan (2019-2023), we prioritise increasing membership diversity and broadening our geographical impact. We ensure that candidates for membership, awards, or staff positions are not disadvantaged based on any grounds specified in equality legislation on the island of Ireland. Read the Diversity and Inclusion Statement.
Equality of opportunity
Our procedures for nominations, elections, awards, and appointments are fair and equitable. We do not discriminate based on gender, institutional affiliation, discipline, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion, or membership of the Traveller community.
Early Career Researchers and Scholars
We actively develop opportunities and support the voice of early career researchers and scholars through establishment and support for Young Academy Ireland (YAI).
Accessibility
We continuously work towards improving the accessibility of our services to the members of the public, both in person and digitally. In 2024 we launched our new website, which was designed with an accessible-first approach. The RIA aims to be accessible to all visitors, however due to 19 Dawson Street’s status as a protected structure and our location we are limited in the alterations that can be made to the building. We are working closely with our partners at Office for Public Works (OPW), who manage the building, to increase universal access in the long term. The RIA Access Officer is the point of contact for persons with disabilities who wish to access the Academy’s events and services and is responsible for providing or coordinating assistance. Our current Access Officer is Agata Western.
Contact details
Access Officer: Agata Western
Address: Access Officer, Royal Irish Academy, 19 Dawson Street, Dublin 2, D02 HH58
Telephone: (01) 6090600
Email: accessofficer@ria.ie
Learning and Development and HR practices
The Royal Irish Academy is committed to encouraging equity, diversity and inclusion among our workforce, protecting employees against unlawful discrimination, and creating an open and inclusive culture where everyone feels valued. The aim is for our workforce to be representative of society and for each employee to feel respected and able to contribute to the best of their ability. The Academy believes that embracing equity and diversity in the workplace benefits not just the Academy but also individual employees, teams and our stakeholders. The Academy strives to create an inclusive and supportive environment in which all employees can flourish and reach their full potential, regardless of differences, experience or education. Harnessing the wide range of perspectives this diversity promotes innovation and creativity in delivering our strategic objectives.
Some of our recent internal initiatives include:
- Inclusive leadership training for management team members
- Digital accessibility training sessions
- EDI talks and webinars on topics of interest, including LGBT+, neurodiversity and invisible disabilities
- Establishment of a staff committee, which supports open communication, feedback and staff-led initiatives.
EDI Resources
RIA membership and nomination process webinar July 2024
FAQs on Membership Nomination Process
