This project concerns the experimentation of gender diversity management policies in different kind of organisations conducting scientific and technological research. It consists of a coordinated set of activities of networking, awareness-raising, experimentation and knowledge transfer between scientific organisations of different countries as well as between scientific organisations and decision-makers. The project, funded by the European Union´s, Seventh Framework Programme for Scientific and Technological Research, Science in Society Programme, aims to obtain more active and firm commitment of member states in the promotion of women involved in scientific research and technological development.Furthermore, the project aims to increase the capacity of S&T institutions in monitoring, managing and feeding gender diversity in their own organisation, at all levels. In this way, amongst other things, the project intends to contribute to the adoption and implementation of the European Charter for Researchers as well as of the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.

In this framework, the project pursues the following specific objectives:

• Testing co-ordinated packages of actions aimed at removing the factors hindering a condition of full gender equality in scientific careers, such as the problems connected with the work-life balance or the distortions influencing access, selection and appointment of members of top management;
• Defining, on the basis of the existing knowledge and practical experimental initiatives, a set of guidelines or promoting gender diversity (i.e. enhancing women status, adopting a gender sensitive scientific perspective, implementing diversity management strategies) in S&T institutions;
• Promoting exchange and knowledge transfer on policies in gender diversity management among research institutions of different kinds (universities, other types of public research centres, private companies);
• Supporting a high-level dialogue among experts, policy makers and leaders of public and private scientific institutions, geared to feeding a positive orientation towards gender diversity and to promoting a gender balance in decision-making in the realm of scientific research.

Partners:

• The Department for Rights and Equal Opportunities of the Italian Prime Ministers’ Office, Italy
• Fraunhofer Gesellschaft - FRAUNHOFER, Germany
• Assemblea delle donne per lo sviluppo e la lotta all’esclusione sociale - ASDO, Italy
• Aarhus University - AU, Denmark
• European Spatial Agency - ESA, France
• Università degli Studi di Milano - UNIMI, Italy

Project leader (Denmark):
Evanthia Kalpazidou Schmidt, Dr. Fil.

Project participant:
Stine Thidemann Faber, Postdoc at CFA (as of 15 April 2011 Associate Professor at Aalborg University)

Publications:
Kalpazidou Schmidt, E. & Faber, S. Thidemann (2010): Executive Design of WHIST Experimentation Activities at Aarhus University. Project “Women's careers hitting the target: gender management in scientific and technological research”, European Commission.

Faber, S. Thidemann & Kalpazidou Schmidt, E. (2010): Ex-ante evaluation of the implementation of a mentoring programme for young female researchers at Aarhus University. WHIST project, report for the European Commission.