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About GRIIT
The Gender Equity Research and Inclusive Innovation in Technology advances scholarship, policy, and practice at the intersection of gender, technology, and responsible innovation.
Where Research Meets Responsibility
An interdisciplinary research network committed to ethical technological development
The Gender Equity Research and Inclusive Innovation in Technology (GRIIT) is an interdisciplinary research network based at Aston University. We advance scholarship, policy engagement, and practice at the intersection of gender, technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and inclusive innovation, with a commitment to responsible and ethical technological development.
GRIIT responds to a critical gap: as digital technologies reshape society, they often reproduce and amplify existing inequalities. From algorithmic bias to technology-facilitated violence, the digital world is not neutral. We exist to investigate these harms, develop evidence-based interventions, and ensure technology serves everyone—not just the powerful.
Our Vision
To become a leading interdisciplinary research hub advancing knowledge, policy, and practice on gender, technology, and responsible innovation, contributing to the creation of equitable futures in the digital age.
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Evidence-Led
Survivor-Centred
Accountability-Driven
Intersectional
Collaborative
Action-Oriented
Our Mission
GRIIT's mission is to advance socially responsible and inclusive technological innovation through rigorous research, policy engagement, and educational initiatives. We seek to:
Produce high-quality, interdisciplinary research on gender and inclusion in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies
Inform and influence public policy, regulatory frameworks, and organisational practice toward greater equity and accountability in technology-driven sectors
Empower underrepresented and marginalised communities in STEM through education, mentorship, and outreach
Strengthen Aston University's leadership in ethical, inclusive, and responsible innovation
Responsible AI and Digital Ethics
Responsible AI constitutes a central pillar of GRIIT’s research agenda
The Network critically examines algorithmic systems, data practices, and digital infrastructures to identify and address gendered and intersectional forms of bias, exclusion, and harm. GRIIT’s work contributes to the development of AI systems that are transparent, accountable, fair, and aligned with societal values.
Research That Challenges the Status Quo
Four interconnected themes driving our work
Gender and Cybersecurity
Research addressing inclusive cyber workforce development, online safety, technology-facilitated abuse, digital ethics, and cyber harm prevention.
Feminist and Intersectional Technology Studies
Critical examination of gender bias in algorithms, representation in data science, and the ethical and social implications of AI and automated systems.
Policy and Innovation for Equity
Research on inclusive innovation ecosystems and gender-sensitive technology policy across national and international contexts.
Education and Empowerment
Development of skills pipelines, mentorship programmes, and outreach initiatives, supporting girls and women in technology.
Action Beyond Analysis
How we translate research into real-world impact
Interdisciplinary research projects and peer-reviewed publications
Public lectures, symposia, and academic-policy workshops
An annual Inclusive Innovation Summit
Strategic partnerships with industry, government, and civil society
Curriculum enrichment, including the development of new MSc and MBA modules
Specialist initiatives such as Forensic Linguistics for Cyber Threat Literacy among Adolescent Girls
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Voices from Our Network
Cross-sector perspectives on the importance of this work
GRIIT represents an important step forward in shaping responsible innovation and strengthening protections for victim-survivors of coercive control and technology-facilitated abuse. By bringing together research, governance expertise, and cross-sector collaboration, this initiative has the potential to lead industry in defining best practice standards that prioritise safety, accountability, and equity in emerging technologies.
Joanne Walker
Researcher, British Telecom
The need for effective cyber governance is essential for all organisations. This was highlighted recently, by the challengers faced by Jaguar Land Rover, M&S and the Co-op, to name but a few, where a cyber attack had a major impact on business operations. Effective cyber governance, helps to provide true business resilience.
Effective cyber governance is much more than technical controls, it is a combination of people, process and technology and it demands strong strategic leadership, ethical foresight, and cross-sector collaboration. Effective governance needs to be led from the top, to set the direction of the key governance principles and to monitor that these principles are being met, ensuring that the organisation is doing the rights things, doing them the right way, doing them well and delivering business value.
GRIIT represents an important step in advancing responsible innovation and embedding equity into the evolving landscape of cyber governance and emerging technologies and building the future governance leaders. I am pleased to support an initiative that brings both academic rigour and practical expertise to this critical agenda.
Mike Hughes
Lead Director, Prism RA
The Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) actively fosters an inclusive institutional culture through the implementation of its comprehensive Gender Equality Plan (GEP), recently updated for the 2026–2029 period. This strategic framework aligns with European Union standards and focuses on five key intervention areas: achieving gender balance in leadership, supporting work-life balance (such as family-friendly meeting schedules and reintegration after parental leave), and maintaining a zero-tolerance policy toward harassment.
Specifically regarding Gender Equity Research and Inclusive Innovation, BME promotes the integration of gender perspectives into both research content and teaching practices, particularly within STEM fields. Furthermore, as a member of the EELISA (European Engineering Learning Innovation and Science Alliance) network, the university collaborates on international best practices and data-driven assessments to ensure that technological innovation remains diverse and accessible to all.
Budapest University of Technology and Economics
University Partner
University Business Academy in Novi Sad (UBANS) is truly honored to be recognized as a Partner of the GRIIT Network at this important moment of its formal launch. We are sincerely grateful for the trust and confidence reflected in this recognition, which is rooted in our previous collaboration, shared project activities, and the strong professional friendship built on mutual respect and common values.
We strongly support GRIIT’s mission to advance gender-responsive and socially responsible technological innovation. At a time when cybersecurity, AI, and emerging technologies are reshaping societies at unprecedented speed, as an academic institution, we believe that embedding equity, accountability, and inclusive innovation into digital transformation processes is essential for sustainable and ethical technological progress, and also an inclusive and humane digital future for all. We look forward to contributing to the GRIIT Network through collaborative research, knowledge exchange, capacity building, and creative initiatives that advance responsible innovation at both national and international levels.
University Business Academy in Novi Sad
University Partner
Funding Bodies Supporting Our Projects
GRIIT's projects receive support from leading national and international funding bodies
Collaboration Is Our Foundation
Working across sectors to create systemic change
Join the GRIIT Network
We're building a collaborative network of organisations, researchers, practitioners, and advocates committed to advancing gender equity and responsible technology. Whether you're a charity, university, police force, tech company, or civil society organisation working on aligned goals — we invite you to connect with us and grow this network together.