Roadmap for Action: Perspectives of Funding Agencies

Funding agencies have a vested interest in promoting the gender dimension in research as well as promoting gender in research and innovation. A key part of NSF’s mission is to “promote the progress of science” and as was demonstrated in the Gender Summit, inclusion of diverse participants in research leads to innovative ideas and inclusion of the gender dimension in research is critical for better research, new ideas, and an improved knowledge base. Gender bias in research has resulted in flawed research results that are potentially wasteful, costly, or harmful. Funding agencies are in a key position to encourage and promote the inclusion of the gender dimension in research, to promote best practices in research conduct, to build partnerships and encourage leveraging of resources, to promote transformation of institutional structures, and to collect and use data to inform policy. This presentation discusses current efforts underway by funding agencies in advancing the goals of the Gender Summit 3 and the Roadmap for Action, including multinational, multiagency, multisector, and cross-disciplinary efforts.