CQDM's Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

CQDM recognizes the importance of EDI considerations in the advancement of impactful research and innovation and the achievement of the full potential of the biopharmaceutical research ecosystem. As such, CQDM is committed to implementing EDI principles across its main areas of activities, including governance and hiring, funding programs’ design and accessibility, project evaluation and selection as well as networking and partnering activities.

In this regard, CQDM invites its collaborators, funded researchers, partner companies and the overall biopharma ecosystem to consider and prioritize EDI practices in their environment and research projects. Together, let’s pave the way for new levels of excellence, creativity and collaboration, and make sure we promote an inclusive and collaborative environment as well as a sense of belonging both within the CQDM and in the Canadian research community.

 

Action Plan for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

To ensure the accountability and progress towards the organization’s commitment to EDI, the CQDM EDI Working Group, in collaboration with the staff and governance committees, designed an action plan guided by the following overarching objective:

Create a barrier-free, inclusive, and collaborative health innovation ecosystem that unites diverse perspectives to maximize socioeconomic impacts and sustainable health developments in the biopharmaceutical field in Quebec and Canada.

Actions to support this objective will be implemented in four activity areas, facilitating impact across CQDM’s organization and community:

1. Funding Programs and Collaborations

Stimulate the most promising and market-competitive biopharmaceutical innovations through prosperous collaborations driven by a community of outstanding researchers and organizations with diversity of identities, approaches, and perspectives.

2. Governance, Decision-making, and Evaluation

Make equitable, unbiased merit-based decisions that best support the multifaceted biopharmaceutical research community resulting in the advancement of the most promising innovations.

3. Talent Recruitment and Retention

Attract top talent to CQDM positions and provide an inspirational work environment where all team members experience safety, belonging, and support to achieve their full potential.

4. Communications

Develop and implement a communications strategy that promotes CQDM’s EDI commitment and contributes to the successful achievement of its EDI objectives.

Resources for the Research Community

Discover a curated collection of resources on EDI from a variety of sources and creators. Updated February 2023.

  • Identify and provide EDI resources and training opportunities to all team members on different topics, such as EDI principles, unconscious bias-awareness, EDI in research, inclusive environment, discrimination etc;
  • Expand the team recruitment methods to maximize the accessibility and reach out to a wide range of potential candidates with diverse identities, approaches and perspectives;
  • Provide a welcoming, safe, inclusive and accessible workplace for the team;
  • Organize inclusive, diverse and accessible conferences, seminars or other scientific events;
  • Improve the meeting practices to facilitate the active participation of all team members in discussions;
  • Offer equitable access for all team members to professional development and diverse opportunities, such as mentoring, networking, authorship, and resources;
  • Apply EDI considerations in all steps of the research: study conception and design, methodology and data collection, analysis, interpretation and dissemination of results;
  • Consider diverse resources and literature perspectives to design the project research;
  • Take into account human diversity in the development and implementation of projects or in the dissemination of research results;
  • Improve the recruitment process of participants in the studies to maximize transparency, accessibility and appeal for all members of the target population;
  • Communicate the research results in an inclusive and accessible way.

CQDM EDI Working Group

Reporting to the CQDM Board of Directors, the mission of the EDI Working Group is to provide accountability and ongoing feedback on the action plan and its implementation, therefore supporting the successful achievement of CQDM EDI objectives.

 

Chairman
Members

Jorge Puente
Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Pleasanton Pharma Ventures

André Darveau
Executive Vice Rector and Vice Rector, Human Resources and Finance, Université Laval

Diane Gosselin
President and Chief Executive Officer, CQDM

Véronique Dugas
Vice President, Scientific Affairs, CQDM

Sandra Constantin
Project Manager, Scientific Affairs & EDI Lead, CQDM

Falisha Karpati
EDI consultant

Have questions about equity, diversity, and inclusion?

Write to us in confidence at edi@cqdm.org