TRIGGER (TRansforming Institutions by Gendering contents and Gaining Equality in Research) is a 7PF EU-funded Structural Change project. TRIGGER aims at promoting systemic interventions to promote women in research institutions designed to have deep, long lasting and widespread impacts at all the different levels in 5 research organisations.
The project involves five universities from different EU countries (Czech Republic, France, Italy, UK, Spain).
Building on the results of earlier European projects (PRAGES, STAGES, etc..), TRIGGER has set in motion integrated actions that are today being implemented at each university. These actions have been transformed into Gender Equality Plans in the participating universities. They address the following three main dimensions of gender inequality in science, i.e.:
1) WORKING ENVIRONMENT: formal and informal culture, and explicit and tacit rules (i.e. awareness-raising; collection of gender-sensitive data; support in the early stages of scientific careers; promotion of work-life balance).
2) CONTENT AND METHODS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH: gender dimensions and impact of research on different user groups (i.e. updating of teaching curricula; gendering the design of research and technological innovation; allocation of funds for gendered research; contrasting stereotypes about women in science).
3) SCIENTIFIC LEADERSHIP AT DIFFERENT LEVELS: promoting the participation of women in higher levels of professional development (i.e. hiring procedures and criteria for the evaluation of scientific merit; introduction of equality targets in decision making bodies and evaluation committees; improving the visibility of female researchers).
Each of the 5 involved partners have designed and are implementing tailored action plans including measures related to all 3 dimensions, whose relative weight depends on their specific characteristics, situations and needs.
TRIGGER is characterised by integration, customisation, systematic nature, specificity. We are generating public debate and awareness on these issues Europe-wide. TRIGGER tries to provide added value and be strategic by focusing on gendering research and fostering mutual learning among partners and other structural change projects funded by the European Commission.
TRIGGER has produced several publications, including a toolkit with an Integrated Model for the design and implementation of Gender Equality Plans in universities.
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