Women in Science: the European Policy

European CommissionResearch DG

Luisa Prista, Head of Unit Unit L.4 - Scientific culture and gender issues

luisa.prista@ec.europa.eu

Máire GEOGHEGAN-QUINN

• Born September 5, 1950 Galway, Ireland;

• 1970 – 1975 Teacher

• From 1975 to 1997 various political positions in Ireland(Irish Parliament, Minister of State for Commerce, Minister for the Gaeltacht, Minister of State for Education, Minister for European Affairs, Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications, Minister for Justice)

• 1997 - 2000: Columnist with “The Irish Times” newspaper; TV presenter; Part-time business consultant; Non-executive director Aer Lingus; Non-executive director Ryan Hotels

• From March 2000-2010: Member of the European Court of Auditors

http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/geoghegan-quinn/index_en.htm

Key SiS messages by the Commissioner

•The research workplace needs to evolve to empower more women to play their full part in science

•Research DGs exemplary, working conditions and status, specific communication campaign targeting young girls

•We also need to address the increasing disconnect between science and society

•Society must be familiar and at ease with the science underpinning its progress, functioning and survival

•Communicating the benefits and outcomes of research to the public will be critical to public support for Research

•Science must belong in Society

1. Commission, DG RTD to leads by example …. (40% target, gender mainstream)

2. Push modernisation of managing research in Europe…( include gender management )

3. Awareness and Communication ( citizens, young people )

4. Take stock of existing knowledge (incl industry), set instruments and specific polices to achieve the set targets

Commissioner Máire GEOGHEGAN-QUINN

at EP

PERSPECTIVES

EUROPE 2020 • 3 Priorities

• 5 Targets

• 7 Flagship initiatives

EU 2020 sets out a vision of Europe's social market economy for the 21st century.

Three mutually reinforcing priorities

- Smart growth: developing an economy based on knowledge and innovation.

- Sustainable growth: promoting a more resource efficient, greener and more competitive economy.

- Inclusive growth: fostering a high-employment economy delivering social and territorial

cohesion.

Europe 2020PRIORITIES

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By 2020

1 -75 % employment rate (% of population aged 20-64 years)

2 - 3% investment in R&D (% of EU’s GDP). and an innovation indicator

3 - “20/20/20” climate/energy targets met (incl. 30% emissions reduction if conditions are right)

4 - < 10% early school leavers & min. 40% hold tertiary degree

5 - 20 million less people should be at risk of poverty

Europe 2020TARGETS

the EU 2020 AGENDAFlagship Initiatives

1.  Innovation Union

2. Youth on the move

3. A digital agenda for Europe

4. Resource efficient Europe

5. An industrial policy for the globalisation era

6. An agenda for new skills and jobs

7. European platform against poverty

Flagship InitiativeInnovation Union

My job, in short, is to work with the Member States, business and other stakeholders to transform Europe into a really vibrant innovation economy, what I call an

"i-conomy.“Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, Research, Innovation & Science Commissioner

Flagship InitiativeInnovation Union

"i-conomy.“Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, Research, Innovation & Science Commissioner

17/06/2010 10:00 - 11:00

"Innovation Union!"Your chance to debate with Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn live online

ARTICULATION Research and Innovation Plan,

ERA communication FP8

Financial Perspectives 2014-2020

Europe 2020

Research & Innovation Plan

Communication ERA 8ème Framework Programe (et CIP?)

Legislative Action and others

Timetable Research and Innovation Plan,

ERA communicationFP8

- Financial Perspectives 2014-2020:

• April 2011: Adoption by COM

- Research and Innovation Plan

• September 2010: Adoption BY COM

- ERA communication

• December 2010: Submission of draft Impact Assessment (IA) report and executive summary to IA board• Juin 2011: Adoption BY COM

- FP8

• October 2010: Interim evaluation FP7 • April 2011: Adoption of orientation document FP8 by COM• July 2011: Draft FP8 proposals and ex-ante impact assessment• January 2012: Adoption Formal Proposals FP8 (incl Specific Programs, Participation Rules) by COM

Structural Change projects • PRAGES - collecting, classifying and evaluating good practices in OECD countries, at the

national level and + at the level of the individual institutions, and making them available to decision-makers and other stakeholders

• GENDERA –raises awareness + collects, systemises and analyses existing policies / programmes to identify best practices to ensure that women get higher positions in research decision-making

• DIVERSITY - supports greater inclusiveness of women scientists in materials research organisations + surveyed 300 institutions from over 11 countries. Research institutions participating in the project will later build their own profile on the basis of the principles of the European Charter for Researchers. Hot themes recruitment, promotion and nomination.

• GEN-SET - develops practical ways in which gender knowledge and gender mainstreaming expertise can be incorporated within European science institutions in order to improve individual and collective capacity for action to increase women’s participation in science. 

• WHIST - networking, awareness-raising, piloting and knowledge transfer among scientific organisations and with decision-makers. aims to obtain commitment of MS in the promotion of women in RTD + increase the capacity of S&T institutions in monitoring, managing and feeding gender diversity in their organisation + contribute to the implementation of the European Charter for Researchers & Code of Conduct

• 2 to be negotiated following 2010 call (contracts might start at the beginning of 2011)

• At project level we continue with the structural change approach.

• Women in FP, we want to increase efforts to monitor the 40% target.

• A special extra effort in 2011 will be put into gender mainstreaming with FP, an area of work that we haven't fully exploited yet.

• Following the institutional wave, we want to go ahead with an expert group on innovation through gender in research, and learn more about the potential of this area too.

• Policy > looking at existing practices of negotiation of collective labour agreements at MS level and how to encourage best practice exchange among MS and social partners in this sense + explanatory opinion with EESC

• Starting from end 2010, wide Awareness and Communication Campaign

• All of this in addition to business as usual, eg flagship projects, She Figures 2012; WIST 2; and the cooperation with Mediterranean countries.

Roadmap WiS

Partnership MS-EUCouncil, EU Parliament, Commission

• ERA governance should strengthen the role of the Council – strategic steering, orientation debates, presidency trios

• Involvement of EP to be further developed – currently not actively associated in the Ljubljana Process - ITRE

• The Commission must fully exercise its role as set in the Treaties MS-EU as equal partners

• a stronger strategic and steering role by the Council in the governance of ERA is needed

• Orientation debates could be envisaged on overall progress and strategic development of ERA in Council

• Important facilitating and planning role of Presidency Trios