A practical experience of gender
mainstreaming in research funding:
small but flexible
“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.”
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SUPERA Webinar - Gender Equality in RFOs, Two experiences

► Who we are and what we do
► WWTF as partner in the EU project GEECCO
► Five steps to structural and cultural change
► Supporting and inhibiting factors
► Results, reflections & lessons learned
Overview
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Only larger Austrian private non-profit organisation established to promote
science and research; local/regional actor (Vienna)
Founded in 2001 | Funding since 2003: over 200 Mio. € have been awarded
(Private foundation, City of Vienna)
WWTF Mission:
► We fund top scientific research in Vienna
► We provide substantial funding for larger research projects and bring research group
leaders from abroad to Vienna
► We run competitive calls organized within long-standing thematic programmes
according to international standards
3 Calls per year, resulting in ~15 projects + around 2 young researcher
positions
Small but/and flexible (team with 8 FTEs), embedded and involved in regional
policy dialogue and networks
WWTF – Vienna Science and Technology Fund
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Programmes and instruments
Life Sciences (*2003)
Cognitive Sciences (*2011)
Information- and Communication
Technology (*2008)
Projects
Vienna Research
Groups
Supplementing
Measures
Thematic programmes Instruments
Environmental Systems Research
(*2017)

Project partner of EU H2020 consortium: “GEECCO” (4 years)
Goal of the GEECCO project:
• Establishment of tailor-made Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) in 4 European
universities in the STEM field
• Implementation of the gender dimension in two research funding
organizations (RFOs) in funding schemes, programs and review processes
Initial situation at WWTF regarding gender equality:
Individual measures already in place, but no systematic approach
WWTF experiences to structural and cultural changes to foster gender
equality (GE)
Project website: http://www.geecco-project.eu/home/
WWTF and gender equality
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1. Building up knowledge and a gender-friendly
culture
– Little knowledge on gender in research in organization before
GEECCO
– Internal discussions, awareness raising workshops and
trainings
– Intensive analysis and examination of topic „gender in
research“ in funding organisations
– Starting point: place gender as cross-cutting issue in the
organization itself
(Dis)-Advantage: small team
GE change process in WWTF
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2. Provide evidence that there is need for action
– Prerequesite 1: Analysing the status quo internally,
– Status regarding gender in the different stages of the organisation
• Pre-call work
• Call excecution
• Post-call work
• Cross-cutting matters
– Analysis of sex-disaggregated data of different indicators
• Number of applicants vs. successful applicants
• Number of reviewers / jury members / jury chairs
• Average grant sizes
• …
– Prerequesite 2: Analysing the status quo externally and get to know what
others do
(Dis)-Advantage: small organization
GE change process in WWTF
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3. Formulate clear goals (and non-goals) and measures
to reach them
 Formulation of overarching key objective
 Intermediary objectives and respective measures
 Realistic and with clear plan for
 What should be achieved?
 In which timeframe?
 Who is responsible?
 What influencing aspects can be identified?
 Monitoring of progress
(Dis)-Advantage: context (applied versus basic research)
GE change process in WWTF
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4. Implementation in pilot initiative
 Identification of a "Window of Opportunity“
 Starting, even if the “perfect” measures have not (yet) been
found
– Balancing act between overanalysing and evidence, perfectionism and
pragmatism
 Learning from others but also Learning by Doing
– The wheel doesn't have to be reinvented
– No one-fits-all solutions that can be copied from one institution to another
(Dis-)Advantages: flexibility
GE change process in WWTF
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5. Consolidate change in the institution
 Keeping colleagues involved and informed
 Monitoring development and changes
 Reporting success stories to management
 Analysing and identifying areas for improvement
 Developing new standards from learnings
 Institutionalizing implemented measures
GE change process in WWTF
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Supporting and inhibiting factors for our case
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- Private organization: fewer restrictions than public RFOs
- Not a first mover: other organizations have paved the way
- Embedding in different peer groups
- Holistic approach: implemented measures spanning an entire call for
proposals & several dimensions of gender equality
- Private also means not having to fulfill the public requirements e.g.
quotas in decision-making
- Small organization with little room for bigger structures (e.g. GE office)
- Depending on individual engagement

• Positive tendency, vs. direct causality and impact
• Internal knowledge building to prevent resistances
• Provide evidence that there is need for action
• Flagging an issue and raising awareness might initiate
disussions/change
• Networks of peers to exchange on experiences is important
• Exchange between funding agencies and research institutions
(important but seldom & informal)
• Implementing changes in a pilot initiative as door opener
Results, reflection & lessons learned
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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.”
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SUPERA Webinar - Gender Equality in RFOs, Two experiences

• Review on Human Computer Interaction and Gender
• Review on Robots and Gender
• Review on Energy and Gender
• Review on Mobility and Gender
• Video: Humans & Computer
• Video: Robots in our Society
• Video: Energy for all
• Report: Best practice examples of gender mainstreaming in
Research Funding Organizations
• Guideline for jury members, reviewers and research funding
organizations´employees
• Overview and assessment of gender criteria for funding
programmes
• Upcoming: Tool for Monitoring change process
Further results of GEECCO
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