EDI Assistant

The Research Development Services (RDS) portfolio has developed a suite of Gemini Gems chatbots as tools to support researchers in their grant development journey.

The EDI Assistant is an AI-enabled Socratic partner helping researchers identify systemic barriers and develop authentic, impactful EDI strategies for grant proposals and training environments. This tool is designed to provide researchers with a tool for reflective, funder-aligned questioning, rather than a ghostwriting chatbot. Its goal is to support researchers in crafting authentic, context-sensitive EDI statements, while maintaining confidentiality and ensuring EDI practices are both meaningful and funder-compliant.

EDI Assistant FAQs

Is this tool secure?
Gemini is the only institutionally approved, free, and secure tool for using generative AI as a productivity tool. Interactions with the Gemini App stay within the Google Workspace Cloud isolated to the U of A and are not reviewed by humans or otherwise used to improve Google's generative AI models. More on AI security here.
Will this tool draft my EDI Statement?
No. This is a socratic tool, designed to provide researchers with a thought partner rather than a ghostwriter. The EDI Assistant will help you think through what EDI actions are feasible and authentic to you and your research specifically.
How do I use the EDI Assistant?
  1. Click on the EDI Assistant to access the Gemini user interface and be able to start interacting with it.
  2. Click on the down-facing arrow next to the word ‘Fast’ at the bottom of the page. Select ‘Thinking’. This step is optional, but selecting ‘Thinking’ will configure Gemini in the most effective setting to support your EDI planning and articulation.
  3. Type ‘hello’ in the prompt field, and the Gem will start asking you questions.
  4. Provide your context details (i.e., competition name, what stage of writing you are in, your draft if you have one). It can also be very useful to provide additional grounding knowledge, for example, some of your published work. You can do this by clicking the + sign on the right Tools function at the bottom of the page.

Supporting You with AI Tools

Please complete this short form to suggest any other custom chatbots that could support the grant development process.