Modifying Institution by Developing Gender Equality Plans

MINDtheGEPs takes a multidisciplinary multidimensional approach to challenging gender unbalances across five different countries with still traditional gender regimes (Italy, Spain, Serbia, Ireland, Poland) and across various types of Research Performing Organisations:  4 public universities (Turin, Tralee, Gdansk, Jagiellonian) and 1 public non-academic research institute (CNR); 1 academic (Belgrade) and 1 private technological institute center (Galicia).

The consortium, led by the University of Turin’s CIRSDe, comprises also three non-implementing organizations bringing complementary expertise in monitoring and evaluation (Knowledge and Innovation), research communication (Uppsala University) and scientific publishing (Elsevier).

In order to promote systemic institutional change and following the “no data-no policy” principle, the project will map the existing data and, building on the tools developed within an ongoing research project of the project coordinator, will produce new quali-quantitative evidence. On this basis, both structural and cultural actions can be effectively designed.

At cultural level, the project will organize a virtuous chain of trainings, starting from across-partners ""train the trainers"" workshops to within-partners laboratories addressed to young women, but, endorsing the approach of ""fixing the system not the women"", also to men and senior researchers.

At structural level, the project will introduce work-family measures addressed also to men, equality targets in decision-making boards and gender-sensitive research.

The establishment of proper figures and bodies creates conditions for the endurance of GEPs beyond the project’s life.

A multidisciplinary team (also including key-persons in middle or top management), coupled with a multi-skilled Advisory Board (including relevant national authorities), and 4 professional associations both in STEMM and SSH, will contribute to a successful change in RPOs and in society at large.