What are research organisations doing to address gender and diversity?
To ensure that their research processes are fair, Science Europe’s Member Organisations aim to scrutinise their activities against any form of bias. To that end, they seek to avoid unconscious bias in peer review processes, monitor progress towards gender equality, and improve grant management practices. There is an increased realisation that gender inequality can affect the design and content of research itself. An increasing number of research organisations require researchers to integrate or specify the sex and gender dimensions in the research they fund or perform.
The Global Research Council's Gender Working Group
Science Europe actively collaborates with other relevant initiatives, institutional groups, and stakeholders to further promote gender equality in the research ecosystem. The association currently co-chairs the Global Research Council’s Gender Working Group (GWG) alongside the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) where it promotes gender-sensitive research policies and the integration of the gender and sex dimensions in the content and design of research.
The group has just released its first survey report on gender-disaggregated data, this landmark study provides an opportunity for benchmarking and a better understanding of the needs of different research systems.
As part of its 2021-2025 strategy, the GWG will now focus on several key issues, in particular harassment, integrating gender in research content, and further actions on gender-disaggregated data. Later this year, it aims to publish guidelines on addressing bullying and harassment in research.