Mind the Gap! Building Inclusive Research Culture at IMBA

Just before the summer, I was commissioned to design and deliver an ambitious and rewarding initiative — an “Inclusion by Design” programme aimed at enhancing the research culture at IMBA, the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology at the Vienna BioCenter.

Here are some of the factors that made this an impactful journey — for IMBA and for me:

• Leadership commitment: Elly Tanaka, Director of IMBA, not only commissioned the programme but also took part in the pilot, offering valuable input for its redesign.

• Co-production: Partnering with Emmanouella Chadzidaki, Head of Scientific Affairs at IMBA, was invaluable. Her deep institutional knowledge and insights helped me design a bespoke programme and make bold choices in the approach to inclusion. She also coined the title Mind the Gap! — a powerful metaphor for individual and collective accountability in building an inclusive culture in science.

• Whole-organisation reach: The programme was open to everyone — all staff, across all functions and all students — breaking silos and encouraging cross-team collaboration. This inclusive scope required multiple iterations to get right, but also sparked creative possibilities in design and delivery.

• Language inclusivity: To ensure accessibility, the programme was translated and delivered in German.

• Engagement: Thanks to a thoughtful awareness campaign led by Emmanouella, almost all 280 staff members participated.

Early results include:

• Greater individual and collective awareness of inclusion as a core element of scientific excellence.

• A shared understanding of inclusion, accountability, and agency through distributed leadership.

• Increased cross-team collaboration and new behavioural insights across roles and disciplines.

• A clear appetite to continue investing in inclusive practices.

The next step is to measure the longer-term impact of Mind the Gap! at IMBA.