Advancing equity in collaborative research: reflections from the Cultural Evolution Society Transformation Fund

Area of Science:

• Cultural Evolution
• Research Ethics
• Social Sciences

Background:

• The field of cultural evolution is celebrating its 50th anniversary, presenting an opportunity to advance its ethical practices.
• Projects funded by the Cultural Evolution Society's Transformation Fund (CES-TF) prioritized equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).
• This opinion piece reflects on CES-TF projects across diverse settings to explore making research more just.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reflect on the challenges and opportunities in making cultural evolution research more equitable and inclusive.
• To identify key relational dimensions for enhancing justice in research practices.
• To offer insights from CES-TF projects on implementing EDI in cultural evolution studies.

Main Methods:

• Drawing on collective reflections from CES-TF grant recipients and the fund's lead.
• Analyzing experiences from projects conducted in diverse cultural and geographical settings.
• Focusing on three relational dimensions: cross-cultural collaborations, community partnerships, and funding/institutional relationships.

Main Results:

• Equitable cross-cultural research collaborations are crucial for inclusive practices.
• Mutually beneficial researcher community collaborations enhance research impact.
• Supportive funding and institutional relationships are vital for embedding EDI.
• Attending to positionality, power dynamics, and diverse knowledge systems fosters responsible research.

Conclusions:

• Making cultural evolution research more just requires a commitment to EDI principles.
• No universal model exists for ethical research; context and positionality are key.
• Structural reform, resources, and institutional commitment are necessary for progress.
• Embedding EDI in research enhances critical reflection and global representation.