2015 AAAS Annual Meeting (12-16 February 2015)

February 12 - 16, 2015

Gender in STEM Policy, Practice, and Research: Advances in North America and Europe

This session will report on current developments in Europe and North America that highlight the role of gender in research and innovation. In Europe, the integration of gender as a criterion of success is a key component of the new research and development program Horizon 2020. Within this program, the European Commission is committed to increasing participation of women in scientific careers, increasing female participation in its advisory structures, and ensuring that gender differences are reflected in the content of calls for proposals, and in evaluation processes, where appropriate, to improve the quality of research and innovation while helping to address the existing deficit of highly qualified and experienced scientists necessary for enhanced European competitiveness and economic growth. A roadmap for North America, “Diversity Fueling Excellence in Research and Innovation,” was produced through extensive discussions at the 3rd Gender Summit in November 2013 in Washington, DC. The roadmap lays out the rationale and actions needed for eliminating gender bias; expanding diversity in the scientific process and in the scientific workforce and leadership; including the gender dimension in research; and developing a multinational collaborative approach to advancing the gender dimension. Research evidence presented at the Gender Summit by speakers from a wide range of science and engineering fields compellingly demonstrates the link between gender equality and research quality and innovation.