Work Package 4

Training academic communities

Leading partner: SKU


WP4 is core to our project, as it aims to effectively support structural change in favour of gender equality in research institutions through the implementation of tailor-made Gender Training Plans.
 
These plans, to be later annexed to Gender Equality Action Plans included to this proposal, will involve Human resources & scientific managers, researchers, administrative or technical personnel, and social partners, learning about the dynamic structures that hinder and support gender equality. By supporting team learning on the issue. This WP is also meant to address individual and institutional resistances at all levels. Gender training activities carried out as part of this project will firstly draw upon participatory methods and quality standards that have been already developed under previous EU-funded projects and through initiatives at the levels of member states or research institutions. Taking into account specific needs and contexts, training instruments will also be developed, empirically tested and evaluated over the course of the project.

WP4 will also consist in making knowledge on gender available to undergraduate and postgraduate students through an appropriate teaching offer, including in STEMs. This objective will be pursued through regular seminars, with the participation of academics and experts from non-partner institutions.

Drawing upon a mapping of available training instruments, both at the EU-level and at the level of participating institutions, to be jointly carried out under the supervision of WP leader, this WP will follow up the design and implementation of Gender training plans.
 
This process will entail the definition of common standards in terms of contents and methods, drawing upon discussions held within the frame of EU-funded projects and to the initiative of the European institute for Gender Equality. Gender training plans will be designed by partner institutions to address the gaps and specific needs identified through preliminary assessment reports and the mapping of available training tools. This cumulative effort will be supported by the mutualisation of gender training resources among partners. Methodologies tested under other SiS project as participatory methods used under STAGES at Radboud University, will be used on a larger scale, and adapted to the needs of other partner institutions. At Sciences Po, a full training offer will be developed by the vocational training department, using experience-based and participatory methods. Instruments with a proven record of efficiency, such as the Gender in Research toolkit developed under FP7 (www.yellowwindow.be/genderinresearch/), will be adapted to new research areas, organizational contexts, and audiences.

Simultaneously, experience exchange on the inclusion of gender into research curricula at the B.A & M.A levels, will be supported through a series of on-line (CoP) sessions concluding with a dedicated seminar held on M38. The purpose of those exchanges will be to identify best practices in terms of format (common-core vs. optional credits), length, contents and methods, as well as overcoming


Description of work

1. Mapping of available training instruments (M1-3) To be performed by respective partner institutions, this mapping will aim to identify resources, methodologies, targeted audiences and potential gaps in gender training.

2. Agreed GT standards. (M2-4) The definition of these standards will result from a cumulative effort, drawing upon previous discussions, in order to provide partner institutions with a common approach to the design of Gender Training Plans. Following recommendations set up under previous EU-funded projects as QUING-OPERA (FP6) and discussions hosted by the European Institute for Gender Equality, these standards will place the emphasis on the use of participatory methodologies and the inclusion of other potential grounds of inequality.

3. GT plans design and ratification (M4-8) This task, to be carried out at the level of partner institutions, will result in full gender training plans, including targeted audiences, selected methods, formats, implementation teams, mobilized expertise, timelines & targets.
In order to ensure institutional support at the highest possible level, Gender Training Plans will be officially endorsed by vocational training schemes and administrative & scientific management structures.

5. Gender in EU-funded research (M6-24) will consist in enhancing, updating and implementing the approach developed for the EC under a previous FP7 project through targeted GT sessions for EU-funded projects’ managers and officers.

6. GT implementation & enhancement. (M6-46) WP leader will monitor the implementation of gender training plans, and make recommendations for improvements where appropriate.

7. Seminars on gender in curricula (M13-46) will aim at experience exchange on the teaching offer available to undergraduate and post-graduate students in partner institutions, where applicable.