Focus on equality in relation to research funding

By Nicolai Lynge Clausen, nicl@sdu.dk, 6/23/2021

From now on, it will be advantageous for researchers to incorporate gender and equality perspectives in their research. The European Commission is aiming to achieve a broader gender representation in research in the EU, and this aim is consequently also reflected in Horizon Europe, which will annually grant more than EUR 10 billion to research in the EU countries.

The Commission has thus introduced three criteria which are used to assess applications for research projects in Horizon Europe:

· An eligibility criterion which means that universities applying for funds must have a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) as this will be an entry requirement to be considered for research funds. The implementation of a GEP is underway at SDU.

· An award criterion that looks at the integration of the gender dimension in the research itself.

· A ranking criterion that assesses the gender representation in e.g. the research team, among proposed collaborators, etc.

Need to consider the gender aspect

This all means that you ought to incorporate a gender and equality aspect in your research, explains Esben Flindt, Head of Research Support at SDU RIO.

- Gender aspects must be considered as a compulsory element in applications for Horizon Europe funding. The gender aspects are not part of the core evaluation criteria used for assigning application scores. However, the appropriateness and quality of gender measures incorporated in an application become part of the final application ranking exercise – and can make the difference in case of equally scored proposals. Therefore, projects need to consider gender aspects in their project setups more than before.

He also points out that new initiatives in Horizon Europe are often later taken up by other large research funds. Consequently, it is to be expected that similar criteria will be gradually implemented by other funds in the future as well. Among Nordic funding bodies such as NORDFORSK and DFF, gender representation and the integration of the gender dimension in research have already been seen in several calls.

Part of the university’s strategy

SDU is already working strategically with equality, and for SDU’s Gender Equality Team, the new requirements were expected. Consequently, for the past few years, the team has worked towards a process model for SDU’s upcoming Gender Equality Plan. In these months, the model is undergoing a final hearing in SDU’s collegiate bodies, says Maria Dockweiler from SDU’s Gender Equality Team (GET).

- We now have the expected renewal of gender equality as a priority in the European Research Area, with equality for the first time being defined as ‘broad inclusiveness and access to excellence’. All aspects of bias and socioeconomic inequalities are consequently relevant under this broader umbrella term, and it translates to the gender and diversity perspective in research as per the award criterion, as well as among researchers as per the ranking criterion. It’s noteworthy here that ‘gender’ itself is expanded to include representation of men, women and non-binary researchers.

Help is available

SDU is thus aware of the new criteria in Horizon Europe, and concrete application assistance is available at SDU’s research support units. SDU RIO is, for example, in close dialogue with SDU’s Gender Equality Team on how SDU can best help researchers bring relevant perspectives into their applications and the research project itself.

Together with the faculties’ research support units, the two units have increased their collaboration on the best possible ways to advise SDU’s research groups on how to meet the requirements, and there are plans to create an SDU-based checklist for advisers and applicants.