Finding the invisible: How EDI became visible in my research practice
C-DICE Impact Hub assistant Dr Lu Ge reflects on the relevance of Equity / Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in wireless communications research and how the EDI toolkit provided a clear pathway for her own development as a researcher.
I come from a background in Electronic and Electrical Engineering, where our work usually focuses on algorithms, hardware, wireless network models and system design. For a long time, I thought that EDI was important in principle, but I struggled to see how it connected to the practical realities of our field. Our research is centred on systems, signals and performance rather than on people themselves. At least that was how I used to see it.
Over the past few years, as the UK research development landscape has evolved, my perspective has started to shift. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has played an increasingly influential role in shaping how EDI is understood and embedded across the engineering and physical sciences. EPSRC encourages researchers to think beyond the technical side of their work and to see how inclusive practice contributes to better research.
How the EDI toolkit shapes research
Building on this vision, the C-DICE team has developed a practical EDI toolkit. Engaging with it gave me a clear pathway for my own development as a researcher. The scenarios presented in the toolkit helped me to think beyond my usual technical focus and to ask different kinds of questions: How is research designed? Who is it designed for? The examples made me realise that inclusion is part of every stage of research, from team diversity and data optimisation to the way results are shared with different users.
Inclusive design for future wireless systems
The most significant insight I gained was the realisation that future 6G systems must be designed to be not only intelligent and sustainable, but also fundamentally inclusive.
Bringing EDI into research early helps PhD students and postdoctoral researchers design fairer projects and carry out work that is more relevant and responsible.
For me, the toolkit turned an abstract concept into a practical way of thinking. It helped me realise that even in the most technical areas of science and engineering, EDI still plays an important role in how we build teams, choose research questions, assess impact, and mentor others. It made visible what had previously been invisible, and I believe that this kind of clarity, serves as a powerful catalyst for research culture change.
By Dr Lu Ge, C-DICE Impact Hub assistant and wireless communications researcher
EDI and the EPSRC
EDI is crucial to supporting a healthy research and innovation culture. Find out more about how the ESPRC is fostering a research and innovation system ‘for everyone, by everyone’.
C-DICE EDI toolkit
The C-DICE EDI toolkit, developed in collaboration with the Universities of Birmingham, Loughborough, and Nottingham, helps researchers embed EDI principles into every stage of their research practice.
Designed for researchers at any career stage, the interactive, self-paced resource includes case studies, scenario-based learning, and practical guidance.
The toolkit features a range of guided scenarios, enabling researchers to explore how EDI principles should be embedded across all aspects of net zero research.
Tasks include evaluating research proposals submitted for funding calls on decarbonising homes and modelling UK supply chains. Each proposal takes a distinct approach to the challenge. The researcher’s take is to assess how effectively each proposal embeds EDI principles in its research design, recruitment strategies, stakeholder engagement, and anticipated impacts.
Almost 400 research have used the toolkit since the end of Jul 2025. Register via the University of Birmingham’s Canvas platform to complete six modules and earn a micro-credential badge.