Increasing gender balance in research leadership

Women in leading positions
What can be done by RFOs to increase gender balance?
“This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research
and innovation programme under grant agreement No 741128”. This presentation
reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible
for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.”
22nd March 2021
Marcel Kraus, Technology Agency of he Czech Republic

• In most EU countries, female researchers are underrepresented and sporadically achieve leading
positions in research (15% female rectors, 30% female vice-rectors, 26% female members of the
highest decision-making bodies in research)
• This is a loss of talent, perspective and innovation potential for research and society
Gender balance in leading positions in RPOs
2

• RFOs set up rules and terms of support, which should be friendly for work-life balance,
reflect different reasons for career brake and life situations of men and women
→ RFOs attract (female) leaders
• RFOs select project proposals for support, and thus have to avoid a gender-biased
approach in the evaluation
→ RFOs select (female) leaders
• RFOs provides financial support i.e. for personal costs (mostly) in RPOs, and therefore
supports principal investigators in managerial competencies
→ RFOs support (female) leaders
What can be done by research funders to increase gender balance
in leading positions?
3

A project led by female PI is advanced via
A. extra points for the project proposal led by female PI (female principal investigators are given
more points in the evaluation of project proposals)
B. priority in the final order of projects with the same point score
i) near the limit of the relevant call budget
ii) throughout the whole range of projects' list
(female principal investigators are given preference if evaluators have to decide between two proposals
of equal quality)
C. financial incentive for institutions applying for a grant led by a female principal investigator
(additional funding that a company receives if its R&D project is led by a female principal
investigator)
Gender ballance in leading positions – Principal Investigators
4

Project led by male PI 300 points
Project led by female PI 290 points
The final order of selected projects
Without extra points for female PI
1
2-3
2-3
4
5
6
7-9
7-9
7-9
10
11
12
Supported female PI = 5
Supported male PI = 3
Limit
of
the
call‘s
budget
With 3 extra (out of 300 = 1%) points for female PI
1
2
3
4-5
4-5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

Project led by male PI
Project led by female PI
Without priority of female PI
1
2-3
2-3
4
5
6
7-9
7-9
7-9
10
11
12
Limit
of
the
call‘s
budget
With priority of female PI
1
2-3
2-3
4
5
6
7-9
7-9
7-9
10
11
12

• Technology Agency of the Czech Republic:
– provides extra points for the project proposal led by female PI (in some programmes only)
– give a priority in the final order of projects with the same point score near the limit of the relevant call
budget (in some programmes only)
• Vienna Business Agency
– provides “Women’s Bonus“ – additional funding that a company receives if its R&D project is led by a
female principal investigator. This money does not have to be used for the respective project.
• WWTF (Vienna)
– (in one of their programmes), an additional financial bonus is provided if a female researcher is awarded
a grant. In this case, the additional funding has to be used for some gender mainstreaming measure of
the institution.
7
Measures of RFOs for increasing gender balance
in leading positions

RFOs cannot directly influence the appointment of women to leading or decision-making positions in RPOs. However,
RFOs can provide incentives for RPOs and help establish management and leadership competencies to (female)
principal investigators by promoting woman in leading positions in research projects.
Examples of TA CR:
• Bonus for advanced HR environment and gender-sensitive culture at RPOs (incl. Career
development)
– higher flat-rate (dedicated esp. for WLB costs) or more points in evaluation for
– Prooven with: HR Excellence in Research award (EC), GEP, GPG certification, other relevant awards
• Consideration of career brakes in evaluation
– No age limit of a researcher‘s track record
– Max. limit of 5 research projects/ papers per researcher
• WLB expenditures are considered eligible
8
Measures of RFOs for increasing gender balance
(not only) in leading positions

What can be done by research funders to increase gender balance in leading positions?
• RFOs cannot directly influence the appointment of women to leading or decision-making positions in
RPOs. Nevertheless, RFOs set up rules and terms of support, select project proposals for support and
provides financial support, thus they also attract, select and support current or next (female) leaders
in research – principal investigators
• RFOs have three basic possibilities to promote gender balance in leading positions in RPOs
1. Providing extra points to a project led by a female PI (underrepresented gender)
2. Giving a priority to a project led by a female PI in the final order of selected projects with the same point score
3. Providing a financial incentive for institutions applying for a grant led by a female PI
9
Summary

Thank you!
“This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research
and innovation programme under grant agreement No 741128”. This presentation
reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible
for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.”

Increasing gender balance in research leadership

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