Equality, diversity, and inclusion are essential components of scientific quality. Science Europe works to promote a research ecosystem where all scholars can realise their potential regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, religion, disabilities, ethnic origin, or social background.
Diversity leads to better research and can be a major resource for scientific excellence. All researchers should be enabled to realise their full potential and rewarded for the quality of their scholarly contributions, independently of their gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, disabilities, ethnic origin, or social background. Research organisations have a crucial role to play in addressing inequality, not only for the benefit of the science ecosystem, but to contribute to progress in wider society.
To ensure that their research processes are fair, Science Europe’s Member Organisations aim to scrutinise their activities against any form of bias. To that end, they seek to avoid unconscious bias in peer review processes, monitor progress towards gender equality, and improve grant management practices. There is an increased realisation that gender inequality can affect the design and content of research itself. An increasing number of research organisations require researchers to integrate or specify the sex and gender dimensions in the research they fund or perform.
Science Europe actively collaborates with other relevant initiatives, institutional groups, and stakeholders to further promote equality in the research ecosystem. The association currently co-chairs the Global Research Council’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Working Group (EDI WG) alongside the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) where it promotes research policies promoting equality and the integration of the gender and sex dimensions in the content and design of research.
The group released a survey report on gender-disaggregated data; this landmark study provides an opportunity for benchmarking and a better understanding of the needs of different research systems.
Research organisations have a crucially important role to play in addressing gender inequality; not only for the benefit of their own ecosystem, but to contribute to progress in wider society. This practical guide sets out good practice examples and guides the further development of context specific approaches including how to avoid unconscious bias in peer review processes, how to monitor gender equality, and how to improve grant management practises.
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Science Europe invites qualified consultants to submit proposals for a comprehensive desk study into ‘Combating sexual and gender-based violence in Research & Innovation’. The deadline is 30 September 2026.
This Annual Report provides an overview of the progress and achievements of Science Europe across the research policy topics that it worked on in 2025, including FP10 development, research culture, trust in science, research security, Artificial Intelligence, research assessment, environmental sustainability, inclusion, and open access.
This report summarises the discussions and recommendations from Science Europe’s webinar 'Equality and Inclusion: Strengthening Excellence in Research,' highlighting how research organisations, funders, and policy makers can foster more inclusive research environments, address structural inequalities and gender-based violence, and support under-represented groups across the research ecosystem.
A public webinar to discuss the crucial importance of integrating Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) measures in research systems and processes.
Science Europe has responded to the European Commission’s Call for Evidence on the Action Plan for Women in Research, Innovation and Start-ups, setting out concrete proposals to strengthen equality, diversity, and inclusion across Europe’s research and innovation systems.
Science Europe has responded to the European Commission’s public consultation on the proposed European Research Area (ERA) Act, setting out the collective views of its Member Organisations on how the legislation can effectively strengthen framework conditions for research and innovation, while safeguarding academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and the diversity of national research systems.
Science Europe made excellent progress on its research policy priorities in 2024, delivering key outputs in various areas, including science communication, research assessment, open science, the sustainability of research, international collaboration, and equality, diversity, and inclusion.
This report summarises the outcomes of the 28 February webinar 'Women in Science: Celebrating Inclusion and Shaping the Future of Research'. It highlights possible avenues for research funding and research performing organisations to improve working environments by addressing equality, diversity, and inclusion.
On International Women's Day, Science Europe reaffirms its commitment to advancing equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in the European research ecosystem as an essential part of research quality. We aim to promote a research ecosystem where all scholars can realise their potential regardless of gender, sexual orientation, religion, disabilities, ethnic origin, or social background.
2023 proved to be another landmark year for Science Europe: building on the achievements of the previous year and setting the direction for new approaches in vital areas of research policy.