Investigating and addressing career barriers faced by underrepresented and marginalised researchers

The successful proposal will deliver on the following impact: “Strengthened gender equality and inclusiveness in the European Research Area”.

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:

• Policy makers, research funding organisations, higher education and research performing organisations, researchers and other research and innovation stakeholders are more aware of the barriers faced by researchers from underrepresented groups and marginalised communities and have more knowledge at their disposal;
• Policy makers, research funding organisations, higher education and research performing organisations, researchers and other research and innovation stakeholders are equipped with concrete tools and measures to support fair career advancement of disadvantaged researchers from underrepresented and marginalised groups.

Researchers from underrepresented groups and marginalised communities – including, e.g., racialised researchers, researchers with disabilities, LGBTIQ or refugee researchers – encounter structural, material, and cultural inequalities. The challenges and barriers they face include, but are not limited to, more working precarity, higher rates of gender-based violence and harassment, epistemic injustice and lack of recognition, unequal access to resources, mentorship and support networks, and other obstacles stemming from cultural or social stereotypes leading to conscious and unconscious biases. These disparities are furthermore often exacerbated due to the compounded effects of multiple and intersecting discriminations. Despite increasing efforts, there is still limited understanding of how these intersectional inequalities manifest themselves and how they can be and are being addressed at EU and national level and in research performing organisations and funding organisations.

Intersectionality has been put forward as a cross-cutting approach of the Commission’s Union of Equality strategies^[1]. Gender equality and inclusiveness have been recognised as core values and principles of the European Research Area (ERA)^[2], as reflected in Action 5 of the ERA Policy Agenda 2022-2024^[3], and further reiterated in the new European framework for research careers and the new European Charter for Researchers^[4], stressing also the inclusiveness for researchers from all backgrounds including under-represented and marginalised groups.

This action supports the objectives of ERA Action 5, as well as of ERA Action 4 focusing on strengthening inclusive research careers in Europe. Therefore, a close cooperation with relevant ERA stakeholders, including the subgroup of the ERA Forum dedicated to ERA Action 5^[5], is required, as is the involvement of researchers from concerned underrepresented and marginalised groups and the involvement of community support networks.

Conducting research, carried out in dedicated work packages with specific objectives and tasks, should be the core component of the action. The action should also take into account national legal and policy frameworks, institutional practices as well as individual levels, and aim to contribute to promoting the inclusion of researchers from under-represented and marginalised groups in the EU research and innovation system.

Proposals are expected to address all of the following:

• Investigate the specific barriers faced by researchers from at least three underrepresented and marginalised groups at different stages of their careers, starting from the gender perspective and considering other discrimination grounds. This should build on existing research, as well as on other relevant sources^[6], and be based on quantitative and qualitative data, including personal testimonies that should be gathered by the project in at least 10 Member States and Associated Countries.
• Develop tools (e.g., toolkits, guidance, training and dissemination materials) and deliver evidence-informed recommendations on how to design and implement inclusive, intersectional, and human-centred gender equality plans and shape policies in the ERA at the level of higher education and research performing organisations, research funding organisations, and national and EU research and innovation policy makers. Proposals should develop interventions such as mentorship programmes, intersectional diversity training, policy changes, cultural competency initiatives, or structural reforms.
• Disseminate research results and project outcomes and materials to national and EU policy-makers, research funding organisations, higher education and research performing organisations, researchers, and other relevant ERA stakeholders.

Proposals should build on the knowledge and expertise developed through related actions funded under Horizon 2020 and the Horizon Europe WIDERA Work Programme^[7]. Proposals are also encouraged to explore potential synergies with projects funded under Horizon Europe Cluster 2^[8] and by the European Research Council^[9], particularly regarding their operationalisation and methodological approach to intersectionality.

The expected duration of this action is 3 years.

[1] Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025, EU Anti-Racism Action Plan 2022-2025, the EU Roma strategic framework for equality, inclusion, and participation 2020-2030, LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025, Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030, https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/union-equality_en.

[2] Council Recommendation on a Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe, https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-13701-2021-INIT/en/pdf.

[3] https://commission.europa.eu/system/files/2021-11/ec_rtd_era-policy-agenda-2021.pdf.

[4] Council Recommendation of 18 December 2023 on a European framework to attract and retain research, innovation and entrepreneurial talents in Europe, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/C/2023/1640/oj.

[5] https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/expert-groups-register/screen/expert-groups/consult?lang=en&fromMainGroup=true&groupID=103813.

[6] E.g., Equality data collection, https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/combatting-discrimination/equality-data-collection_en; The Compendium of Practices on Equality Data, https://fra.europa.eu/en/promising-practices-list.

[7] Projects funded under SwafS-25-2020, HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ERA-01-09, HORIZON-WIDERA-2021-ERA-01-80, and HORIZON-WIDERA-2021-ERA-01-81.

[8] Projects funded under HORIZON-CL2-2023-DEMOCRACY-01-07.

[9] For example, project INTERMAPS, funded under ERC-2021-STG.