The ERC’s mission is to support excellent frontier researchers across Europe, whilst valuing gender and diversity in all forms. Each process within the ERC - from raising awareness about the ERC to signing grant agreements - is designed to give equal opportunities to ERC applicants in an inclusive manner.
Working Group on Gender and Diversity
In 2008, the ERC set up a dedicated working group to monitor gender diversity. In 2021, their remit was extended to cover all aspects of diversity, in line with Article 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
ERC Gender Equality Plan
The ERC Gender Equality Plan was first approved by the Scientific Council and published in 2007 and updated in 2014 and 2021. It’s objectives are:
- raising awareness about the ERC gender policy among potential applicants;
- working towards improving gender balance among ERC candidates and within ERC-funded research teams;
- identifying and removing any potential gender bias in the ERC evaluation procedures;
- embedding gender awareness within all levels of the ERC processes - while keeping focus on excellence;
- striving for gender balance among the ERC peer reviewers and other relevant ERC bodies.
Gender and Diversity in Action
Extension of eligibility window to ensure equality, diversity and inclusion
The ERC has a strong commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. The ERC makes provisions for parents (including single and/or adoptive parents) in its Calls for Starting and Consolidator Grants. Considering the evidence that demonstrates the career impacts linked to childbearing and primary child-caring, the ERC grants 18 months extension of eligibility to applicants entitled to maternity leave for each child born or adopted before or after the PhD award. In parallel, upon request, the ERC also grants extension of eligibility to any applicants who have taken paternity or parental leave. There is no limit to the amount of time of paternity or parental leave that a candidate (irrespective of gender) can claim when this is formally documented. An eligibility template is provided to facilitate this process.
All applicants can request extensions to reflect periods of leave or career interruptions, including disability, long term illness (also caring for relatives), seeking asylum, major disasters, national service and clinical training…
Promotion of diversity and gender equality
To promote diversity and gender equality actions are possible under the terms of the model grant agreement for all beneficiaries of ERC funding.
Training on implicit biases
Training on recognising and addressing bias is provided to all of those who sit on evaluation panels for the ERC. You can see the video they are provided with here:
The Working Group organises events:
2013: On the way to the top: providing equal opportunities for men and women in science and technology (see the final summary)
2020: Sex and gender dimension in frontier research
2023: Research on diversity and diversity in frontier research - conference
Members
The working group comprises member of the Scientific Council of the ERC to whom it reports directly:
- Genevieve Almouzni (Chair)
- Harriet Bulkeley
- Tom Henzinger
- Liselotte Hojgaard
- Sylvie Lorente
- Torsten Persson
ERC Executive Agency secretariat: Severina Shopova
