Inclusive gender equality in research and innovation (R&I) is fostered by the EU as a means to greater growth and prosperity. EU policies are supporting the implementation of Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) in research-focused organisations (e.g. universities and research centres), with the expectation that those plans should be self-supporting in the future. At this point, it is important to take stock and understand how GEPs and other initiatives for equality, diversity and inclusion can be fostered, supported and sustained within research performing and research funding institutions and beyond, and how challenges in this regard can be overcome.

The CALIPER and LeTSGEPs projects, funded by the H2020 programme*, aim to achieve real structural change, through the development and implementation of GEPs in diverse research and higher education institutions.

CALIPER’s unique contribution to change management has been to engage with wider stakeholders in the process (such as business, the public sector, civil society and policymakers), through the creation of Research and Innovation Hubs. Gender Budgeting is a key element in the work of LeTSGEPs, contributing to the effectiveness and sustainability of GEPs by identifying the resources and the impact of actions in terms of gender equality.

Both CALIPER and LeTSGEPs have strived to open up gender equality to interfaces with other areas of potential discrimination (such as ethnicity, age, class, gender identity, etc.). A commitment to an intersectional approach to gender equality is common to the two projects. This is even more important when inclusiveness is being undermined by anti-gender policies in several countries.

Heading towards the projects’ completion, CALIPER and LeTSGEPs* invite researchers (including post-doc and PhD students), innovation leaders, decision-makers, human resource and gender equality practitioners to their joint final conference. Participants will have the opportunity to learn and share best practices, while reflecting on how to address the challenges to achieving long-term, inclusive and sustainable institutional change.

The event will also launch the CALIPER Charter of Gender+ Inclusive R&I Ecosystems, which aims to reach out to new stakeholders and networks across Europe, The signing and endorsement process for the Charter will be opened during the conference. Furthermore, participants will get a copy of the LeTSGEPs Handbook, providing guidelines for the implementation of GEPs and Gender Budgeting, for achieving gender equality in Research Organisations.

*The projects have received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program under Grant Agreement n° 873134 (CALIPER) and n° 873072 (LeTSGEPS)

Joint Final Conference - Inclusive Research and Innovation Ecosystems