Training clinical trial personnel in EDIA is highly recommended. It helps staff recognize and challenge their own assumptions, communicate more effectively with diverse participants, and create a more welcoming, respectful environment. This leads to better participant recruitment andretention, and data quality, ultimately making the trial more ethical and impactful. Investing in this training is a key step toward truly inclusive research.

 Emphasize that EDIA training isn’t just a “nice-to-have” but it’s a business and ethical priority that improves team collaboration, innovation, and participant engagement. You can suggest starting with short, focused sessions to minimize disruption, and offer to help coordinate so it’s easy and efficient.

EDIA training directly contributes to better quality clinical trials by helping teams recognize and address biases that can affect study design. When researchers understand how to include diverse populations thoughtfully, trials are more representative of the real-world patients who will use the treatments, improving the relevance and generalizability of results. Inclusive teams also tend to communicate better and solve problems more creatively, which reduces errors and enhances trial integrity. So, EDIA training isn’t just about fairness, it’s about being smart and strategic to ensure your research is high quality.

Consider sharing participant testimonials or survey data that highlight how inclusive practices improved their experience

N2 continues to support member organizations by providing access to its Cultural Competency Course, which helps teams build essential skills to work effectively across diverse communities. Alongside this, the Self-Evaluation Checklist offers a practical tool for individuals and organizations to assess their current EDIA practices and identify areas for improvement. N2’s EDIA Champions are always available as a resource, ready to offer guidance, share best practices, and help member organizations embed equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility throughout their trials.

Success metrics for EDIA initiatives in clinical trials should include diverse participant demographics that reflect the affected population, recruitment and retention rates by group, accessibility of trial design (e.g., language, location, accommodations), and meaningful community engagement. It’s also important to track diversity within the research team, completion of EDIA training by staff, participant satisfaction disaggregated by identity.

CIHR has embedded EDIA into its research funding process. Researchers are now expected to meaningfully integrate sex- and gender-based analysis (SGBA+) into their study design, and they’re strongly encouraged to consider inclusion of diverse populations.

Health Canada does not at the moment have any reporting requirements related to EDIA. Health Canada does have a Sex- and Gender-Based Analysis Plus Action Plan in place which currently includes requiring sponsors to complete a disaggregated data questionnaire – additional requirements will be expanding in phases. It is expected that Health Canada will add additional requirements over time (e.g., it drafted a guidance for analyzing and reporting sex and gender data).

Consider partnering with community organizations that offer language support, applying for grants that prioritize equity in research, and building interpreter costs into your trial budgets from the start. You can also explore leveraging the expertise you have available within the trial team, using trained bilingual staff, which can be more cost-effective. Making language inclusion a priority early on will help ensure your study is truly language inclusive.

 Beyond interpreters, you can address language barriers by providing translated consent forms and study materials, using plain language and visuals to aid understanding, and offering multilingual digital tools or apps. The goal is to create multiple access points, so language isn’t a barrier to participation or understanding.

 Use trial budget templates that include a standard line item for interpretation and translation to normalize those costs from the start.

This is a very important step and a process. To ensure materials and consent forms are culturally appropriate, involve representatives from the target communities early in the development process to review and provide feedback. Use clear, simple language and avoid jargon, tailoring content to reflect cultural values and communication styles. Translate materials accurately and verify translations with native speakers familiar with the cultural context. Incorporate visuals or examples that resonate with the audience, and consider alternative formats like videos or audio for different literacy levels. Testing materials through focus groups can also help identify and address any cultural sensitivities or misunderstandings before the trial starts.

To engage communities in trial planning, start by building genuine relationships with community leaders and organizations well before the trial begins. Using culturally appropriate communication, listen actively to their needs, concerns, and priorities to ensure the trial design reflects their realities. Be transparent about how their input will influence the study. Involve community representatives in advisory boards or planning committees so their voices shape recruitment strategies, materials, and protocols. Finally, maintain ongoing dialogue throughout the trial to build trust and demonstrate respect for their partnership. Ensure community advisors or partners are compensated fairly for their time and insights. Consider co-authorship or public acknowledgment of community contributors to show shared ownership