Network or perish: A gender perspective on access to project funding and management


“This session intends to explore the relation between women scientists’ participation in research funding and the importance of networking. Statistics demonstrate the low rates of women scientists applying to, participating in and leading funded research projects. This scarcity of women is detrimental to scientific excellence.

Attracting a large pool of excellent candidates to funding programmes is crucial to settle the best conditions for the advancement of knowledge in science and technology in Europe. A greater involvement of women in research funding programmes at all levels would also contribute to enrich research projects in terms of methods, subjects and objectives assigned to scientific research.

The goal of the session is to identify how to enhance a proactive participation of women in funded research projects. The focus will be on networking activities as an instrument to enhance their involvement at all levels. More particularly, the session will look at the role of networking during the preparation stages of applications as well as throughout the project phase, e.g. regards the distribution of project tasks and in reaching positions in management bodies of funded projects and/or funding schemes.

The position of the session co-organisers in the research community (COST, ESF, and EPWS) will ensure that within the framework of ESOF this session will actively contribute to stimulate changes in the administration of funding projects and in the political environment.”

Speakers:

Martin Grabert: COST-ESF, Belgium
Maren Jochimsen: EPWS, Belgium
Britta Thomsen: Socialist Group in the European Parliament, Denmark
Luisa Prista: EC, EU-Belgium
Carl Jacobsson: Department of Research Policy Analysis, Swedish Research Council, Stockholm, Sweden

6th July 2010, ESOF 2010, Torino – Italy

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