These guidelines are based on the equity requirements of the selection process, as outlined by the CRC Program. For more information on the McGill context, see McGill's Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion within the CRC Program. You can contact the uzma.jamil [at] mcgill.ca (Senior Research Equity Advisor) with any questions.
Committee Members
- Ensure that there is at least one member from an underrepresented group in the committee. These include the four Federally Designated Groups, as well as McGill equity groups.
- Confirm that all members of the selection committee have received McGill equity training within the past 3 years. This refers to either the CRC equity training given by the Senior Research Equity Advisor or the Equity in the Academic Search Process training given by the Senior Employment Equity Advisor or other members of the equity team.
Assessment Process
- Through committee discussion and consensus, group candidates according to the bands, “outstanding”, “excellent” and “very good” instead of ranking them numerically. This requires a group discussion as to what key elements the committee feels are important to have in an “outstanding” dossier, vis à vis “excellent” and “very good”. This will vary according to disciplinary and field norms. Once agreed upon, then each candidate’s dossier is assessed in relation to that category.
- In assessing individual applicants, fairly consider the impact of life circumstances that may have led to leaves or slowdowns on a potential candidate’s record when assessing research outputs.
- Consider that some life circumstances can further contribute to career slowdowns outside of formal time away from work, such as the transition periods before and after a leave (e.g., pregnancy can, in some cases where there may be complications, impact productivity before the individual takes leave) or when individuals have disabilities that impact their daily lives (e.g., chronic pain, mental illness, neurodiversity, mobility impairments, etc.)
- Ensure the assessment process does not undervalue scholarship or research that might be considered non-traditional or unconventional, based in Indigenous ways of knowing, outside the mainstream of the discipline, or focused on issues of gender, race or equity.
- Ensure the need for workplace accommodations does not negatively impact a candidate’s assessment.
- In cases where there are two or more candidates considered to be in the topmost “outstanding” band, apply the equivalency protocol, which uses equity self-identification data collected from all award applicants at the time they submit their dossiers. The nomination goes to the candidate from the most underrepresented group first. A reminder that self-identification as a member of an equity group is considered personal and confidential information and is only to be used at this point in the selection process.
Report on Departmental Selection Committee's Nomination Process
- Describe the selection committee composition in general terms without personally identifying which member belongs to which group.
- For example: There were four members in the selection committee, of which two were members of underrepresented groups at McGill (women, racialized minorities).
- If you used the equivalency protocol, indicate that you did so, without specifying which group(s) the nominated candidate belongs to. Equity data is considered confidential information.
