The Hastings Center, founded in 1969 by philosopher Daniel Callahan and psychoanalyst Willard Gaylin, is the oldest independent, nonpartisan, interdisciplinary research institute of its kind in the world. Critical in establishing and advancing the field of bioethics, The Hastings Center produces transdisciplinary scholarship drawing on such disciplines as philosophy, law, medicine, history, political science, data science, and education. Though broad in scope, the Center’s work addresses two main goals: the wise use of emerging technologies, and compassionate and just care for people across their lifespan.

In addition to its research projects, The Hastings Center owns two journals, published six times a year. The Hastings Center Report explores ethical, legal, and social issues in medicine, health care, public health, and the life sciences. Ethics & Human Research explores how to ensure the ethical conduct of biomedical research and the protection of research participants. In addition, the Center regularly publishes the Hastings Bioethics Forum, a blog on current bioethics news and events, written by guest authors who are experts in their field.

The Hastings Center Journey in DEI    

In October 2020, The Hastings Center formed a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group composed of several staff members across all areas of the organization along with the support of leadership. A baseline survey was conducted to gather insight into the Center staff’s needs and views on DEI efforts within the organization. We also hired a consultant to assist with the creation of this request for proposals (RFP), which is aimed at identifying a longer-term DEI consultant whose skill set and interests are tailored to our specific needs as an organization.

To learn more about The Hastings Center, visit https://www.thehastingscenter.org/who-we-are./

Proposal Objectives

The Hastings Center seeks a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) professional. The Hastings Center intends to deepen its commitment to DEI within its internal community and in its engagement with external networks. At present, The Hastings Center is looking to engage in this work in two phases, phase one: developing an internal DEI foundation, and phase two: diversifying our external networks and impact. The ideal consultant will possess the capacity to support phase one immediately and later to support phase two of the work. This RFP is solely for the desired scope of work for phase one.

Scope of Work:

The scope of work for phase one of the DEI consultancy are as follows:

• Provide customized and comprehensive guidance in the formation of a diversity statement, mission, and vision for all internal and external audiences, using the raw data of Center’s DEI survey, discussions with Hastings staff, and best practices for DEI implementation in nonprofit organizations.
• Design Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies that speak to the unique needs of The Hasting Center and its key stakeholders, including hiring, research pipelines, and organizational systems, etc.
• Design psychologically safe learning environments and workshops across the organization that will provide Hastings Center staff with the necessary tools to engage in DEI topics and discussions across the organization.
• Offer guidance on how to best integrate DEI efforts across organizational departments.
• Provide resources and develop accountability tools to regularly measure progress for ongoing learning, training, and engagement.

Once the initial phase of the consultancy scope of work is complete, The Hastings Center anticipates transition into phase two.

Engagement Goal:

The goals of the consultancy will be to:

• Ensure all organizational operations and policies incorporate a framework that embraces and promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Craft a concrete public DEI Statement for internal and external dissemination.
• Give management and leadership the appropriate tools and best practices to facilitate difficult internal conversations about race thoughtfully and candidly.
• Aid in the creation of an inclusive work climate where every employee is comfortable and encouraged to speak up regarding the organization’s climate or practices.
• Determine clear measurable goals around staff and board diversity and equity and inclusion practices.

Proposal Format and Requirements:

A complete application will meet the following requirements:

Executive summary

• Brief history and description of your previous and ongoing work in this area, highlighting any work with similar organizations.
• Consulting philosophy for engaging with organizations related to diversity, equity, and inclusion and transforming organizational culture.

Customized support for The Hastings Center
Statement of proposed work:

• A description of any special experiences or insights relevant to academic institutions, research organizations, and/or policy institutes that will inform your approach to diversity, inclusion, and equity at The Hastings Center.
• Approaches for periodically assessing that the consultancy’s stated goals are achieved throughout the consultancy and measuring its impact.

Logistical information:

• An implementation plan and timeline, including an estimate of hours per month, to complete the project.
• Budget and deliverables: provide a detailed budget, description of the specific deliverables, and estimated delivery dates.
• Three client references with contact information.
• Affiliations, financial arrangements, or activities that would or could create a perceived conflict of interest with The Hastings Center.

Final selection: Week of October 4, 2021

Proposals must be submitted to dei@thehastingscenter.org by September 13, 2021, at 11:59 pm EST. Please send all documents as PDFs. Please email questions and requests for additional information to dei@thehastingscenter.org. No calls, please.

Evaluation Criteria and Timeline:

• RFP released: August 19, 2021
• Proposal due: September 13, 2021
• Finalists notified to participate in a virtual interview with the Working Group: September 20, 2021

Working Group interviews: September 27th through October 1^st.