COST network genderSTE: Networking Gender Equality in Research and Innovation in Europe and beyond

Gender is one of five priorities of the European Research Area, as stated in the Communication adopted in July 2012 entitled A Reinforced European Research Area Partnership for Excellence and Growth (EC 2012c). Following this Communication, the EC has fully integrated gender dimensions in its proposal for a regulation on the new research framework program Horizon 2020¸ which includes in article 15 a provision for gender mainstreaming (EC 2011b). One final upcoming policy instrument announced by the EC is the Recommendation on Gender, Science and Innovation that will address member states and be adopted in the next months. Against this European policy background , the international COST network genderSTE (Gender, Science, Technology and Environment) aims at enhancing a better integration of gender dimensions in science and technology at three main levels: i) promoting women’s careers in science and technology through structural change of institutions (as recommended by EC) by disseminating existing research and practice; ii) promoting a better integration of gender in the content of science, research and technology, by dissemination existing research on the topic, ie the UE-US Gendered Innovations Project; iii) identifying gender dimensions relevant to environment-related Horizon2020 Grand Challenges and other urban EC initiatives.