Who is this Award given to?

The BiasWatchNeuro Annual Award for Equity and Inclusivity is given to a department, institute, or training program in neuroscience or a related field that demonstrates the exceptional creation of a culture where underrepresented and/or marginalised individuals feel integral to the community and thrive.

Nominations can also be submitted for the work of individuals, committees, or groups within a department/institute/program.

Note: Summer programs are not eligible at this time.

Who can submit a nomination?

• Nomination letters can be written and signed by current and alumni trainees, including graduate students, post-bacc/RAs, postdocs
• Nominations can be submitted by an individual trainee or signed by multiple trainees
• Trainees can submit a nomination for their department, institute, or program

Note: Faculty members cannot nominate their current program.

What should be included in the letter of nomination?

1. First, tell us who you are nominating: Your entire department/institute/unit? A training program in your unit? A specific individual or group in your department?
2. Tell us why you think their work deserves to be recognised. Give specific descriptions of the activities that promote inclusivity and equity.
   Examples of activities that promote inclusivity and equity are (but not limited to):
   • Having an active inclusive teaching committee
   • Organising a diversity-related journal club
   • Promoting effective accommodation of disabilities
   • Creating regular safe spaces (such as weekly chats) to talk about issues of climate and inclusion
   • Encouraging faculty to perform syllabus review
   • Investing in trainee and faculty recruitment and retention to enhance departmental diversity
   • Organising read-ins for faculty to discuss books on social and racial justice
3. Tell us about the impact, too (we recognise that no department/institute/program is perfect. You can also highlight any progress that is underway.)
4. Sign your name(s).
5. Send it to biaswatchneuro@gmail.com.

Note: More than one letter and/or letters with multiple signatories will be viewed favourably.

Will nomination letters be made public?

BiasWatchNeuro would like to publish nomination letters for winners and runner-ups to showcase successful methods for creating an inclusive and equitable culture so that:

• other institutes can learn from, emulate, and be inspired as to what they can do better
• and to provide prospective trainees at all levels with information that can inform their decisions of where to apply to

We hope that this will help us all improve our practices and move towards a day in which all neuroscientists feel seen, respected, and supported.

Note: Signatories and names of nominators will only be seen by the award committee, will always be kept confidential, and NEVER made public. Nomination letters will only be made public with permission and after redactions as warranted to maintain confidentiality of the nominators.

We recognise that no department, institute, or program is perfect…

We are aware that many institutions are in the midst of a process to increase equity and inclusivity and have not yet reached close to their desired goal.

However, the aim of this award — and the nomination letters — is to highlight methods and efforts that are effective, even while realizing that more work needs to be done. 

Please consider nominating your department, institute, or program not because they are perfect, but because some of what they are doing can be helpful for others to know about. 

Finally, we emphasise that any winner of the award will be congratulated for what they have done so far, but expected to do more in the future.

The award is for one year only, and next year, the institution will have to compete for it again…

As we all improve our practices, the standards for winning will increase.

That is the goal of this award — to catalyze a process.

Please send letters of nomination to: biaswatchneuro@gmail.com