Wellcome accepts it must do better to counter racism

[AN EVALUATION of progress on anti-racism work at one of the world’s largest charitable trusts – Wellcome – has found ‘insufficient action’ on the ambitions the funder set out two years ago.

Back in June 2020, Wellcome publicly recognised that it had perpetuated racism, acknowledging that there is structural racism within the organisation and the wider research system.

Wellcome pledged to become an anti-racist organisation, with a programme of work including the creation of anti-racist principles and an anti-racist toolkit, anti-racism training for staff and an external evaluation of progress as a research funder and employer.

The evaluation of Wellcome’s anti-racism programme has now reported. It found ‘some positive behavioural and practice shifts’, but concluded that ‘there has been insufficient action taken to allow this commitment to take root’. It highlights evidence of microaggressions and other racist behaviours experienced by staff and grant-holders.

Wellcome has consequently announced further anti-racism actions. They include a firm commitment to apply positive action principles to funding decisions, so that when applications are of similar merit Wellcome will favour those which broaden the diversity of the pool of people it supports. That will come into effect by September 2023.

Dr Jeremy Farrar, director of Wellcome, said: “Wellcome is still doing too little to use its power and influence to counter racism. We have fallen short of commitments made to colleagues and to the research community. As a consequence of us not doing more and not acting sooner, Wellcome remains an institutionally racist organisation.

“Wellcome has played and continues to play a role in sustaining racism both in its own operations and in the wider research sector. I am sorry for the actions and inactions behind this, and the hurt and disappointment these have caused. It’s clear that unacceptable behaviour still exists at Wellcome. The leadership team, like so many of our colleagues at Wellcome, are determined to change this. We will do better.”

The evaluation was conducted by The Social Investment Consultancy and The Better Org with advisory from Ngozi Cole of Lyn Cole Consultancy.

Tina Ajuonuma, founder and principal consultant at The Better Org, commented: “We are pleased to see Wellcome leadership’s acceptance of our report and its decision to accept several recommendations immediately, and applaud the organisation’s willingness to make the full report public and take accountability for taking restorative action in response to the report findings.

“We thank Wellcome staff and grantees who participated in this evaluation, particularly those for whom this process required an additional emotional and mental input. Anti-racism is a continual journey, which requires vulnerability, transparency, accountability and a commitment to changes to practice (and not just process).

“We wish Wellcome well on this journey, and look forward to seeing transformative changes to their internal operations, and their influence on the external global health funding landscape.” q

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