Introduction

The EUMINAfab consortium is aware of a rather low participation of female researchers in its consortium. At the start of the project, the proportion of women among the people with major scientific and technological contributions was only 10%, this is significantly below the average of approx. 21% of women in engineering science as was derived by a European study (COM(2004) 115 final).

However, as a European Integrating Activity the EUMINAfab consortium is strongly committed also to integrate on a personnel level, i. e. ensuring a most balanced gender equality. This is why we have established a gender equality manager

1. to stimulate general attraction of women to the high potential of micro and nano technological installations even at an early stage in scientific education,
2. to allow a balanced work profile for experienced female researchers who in parallel to their scientific work are raising children, and
3. to further qualify in particular part-time working women in the consortium who would otherwise not find the time to keep pace with evolving MNT.

EUMINAfab takes a series of subsequent steps and tasks, which are reported internally within the consortium and externally to the European Commission.

Tasks

The consortium identified five tasks for the gender equality manager, which are intended to support a constant awareness of gender related issues within the consortium and even beyond in further collaborations of the consortium partners. Intermediate and final results of the tasks will be reported to the project committees, thus influencing EUMINAfab’s project execution.

• Evaluate the situation of female scientists within the consortium
• Establishing a gender activity network
• Develop a dedicated female researcher exchange activity
• Promoting a network of female scientists in the area of multimaterial MNT
• Annual evaluation of the gender actions

Survey

The Gender Equality survey was one activity of the Gender Equality Awareness Activities which are carried out within EUMINAfab. The survey was developed to aim at evaluating the situation of female scientists in the European Micro Nano Technology (MNT) community. EUMINAfab would like to get an overview about the situation of female scientists compared to male scientists in European MNT research. An important topic was the compatibility of work and family life, the battle of sexes within the work environment and other challenges of women and men.

Thanks for your interest, the survey is closed now!

A further Gender Equality Awareness Activity is the establishment of a gender activity network. If you are interested in joining this new network of female scientists, please send a mail ( Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist gegen Spambots geschützt! JavaScript muss aktiviert werden, damit sie angezeigt werden kann. ).

News

EPWS Position Paper on Horizon 2020

^{18 May 2012}

The European Platform of Women Scientists published a position paper on Horizon 2020 where they identify emerging challenges in the gender equality area until year 2020 and give recommendations how to counteract.

The full PDF version can be downloaded here.

DIVERSITY project published a booklet summarising their project results

^{18 May 2012}

The outcomes of both the project and the final workshop held in September 2011 resulted in a DIVERSITY booklet. In this booklet the consortium presents the findings, especially the results of the data analysis as well as the recommendations and guidelines developed in project stage 2.

The booklet is available for download here or on the DIVERSITY website.

European Commission Report about "Structural Change in Research institutions"

^{10 January 2012}

The European Commission published a report with the full title "Structural Change in Research institutions: Enhancing excellence, gender equality and efficiency in research and innovation" which contains the result of a high level working group with the aim to investigate reasons behind existing trends in structural changes.
The report presents analyses and best practices in order to attract and promote female scientists.

The report is available for download here or at the European Commission portal "Science in Society".

New EU Prize for Women Innovators

^{6 December 2011}

The European Commission has announced a new prize to give public recognition to the very best women innovators who have brought their outstanding achievements to market. The aim of this new prize is to raise public awareness of the needs for more innovation and especially more women entrepreneurs in research and industry. The EU Prize for Women Innovators will be awarded to three women entrepreneurs, who were at some point during their careers beneficiaries of funding for projects under the RTD Framework Programme (FP) or the Competitive and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP).

The winners were selected by an independent panel of judges from business and academia. The award ceremony took place on 5 December 2011 at the Innovation Convention organised by the European Commission in Brussels.

The winners are:

1. Gitte Neubauer, Co-founder CELLZOME, Vice-President Research Operations
2. Fabienne Hermitte, Co-founder IPSOGEN, Senior Director Research and Development - Regulatory Affairs
3. Ilaria Rosso, Co-founder ELECTRO POWER SYSTEMS, Vice-President of IP Policy and Public Funding Programmes

Links

The following links will give you more information about gender equality in the scientific field.

Gender-related EU projects

• Gender in EU funded research (FP7 project)
• DIVERSITY - Improving the gender diversity management in materials research institutions (FP7 project)
• Gendera - Changing the gender balance in research organisations (FP7 project)
• genSET - Gender in Science (FP7 project)

European platforms

• European Platform of Women Scientists
• European Center for Women and Technology

European Agency

• European Institute for Gender Equality