Day 1 Part 1: Strategic and Crosscutting Priorities  

 Plenary Session 1 Charter for Gender Policy in Research Intensive Organisation 

In this session, the EC Directorate General Joint Research Centre (JRC) will lead a discussion involving a panel of leaders from research-intensive institutes that the DG JRC collaborates with on the topic of creating a gender policy cha rter for research-intensive organisations.  The JRC collaborates with around 1000 partner organisations in over 100 institutional networks. 

Plenary Session 2 Opportunities for Institutional Collaborative Alliances 

In this session, leaders of major international research funding institutions will discuss opportunities to create alliances and collaborations for delivering quality research and innovation that meets the expectations and needs of both women and men.  Taking into account regional diversity in research and innovation policies and resources, institutional collaborative alliances help utilise established structures and develop new, ‘rhizomatic’ connections to advance the integration of gender dimension in research and innovation process. 

Poster Exhibition & Networking 

Day 1 Part 2: Scientific Quality Priorities 

Plenary Session 3 Understanding Cellular and Molecular Sexual Dimorphism 

In this afternoon session, presentations and discussions will focus on biological sex differences and similarities in cell behaviour and biochemical pathways, from the role of gene expression, to the role of biomarkers as diagnostic and therapy design tool, as well as the role of sex in influencing the efficacy of stem-cells interventions.  This session is motivated by the growing body of evidence showing that in addition to the well-recognised influences of hormonal factors, non-hormonal conditions, such as gene silencing, which  operate at molecular level and involve an interplay of pathways, are also involved in determining sexual dimorphism in cell behaviour.   

Plenary Session 4 Understanding Environmental and Social Gender Disparities 

In this afternoon session, presentations and discussions will focus on environmental and social circumstances where sex and gender play a significant role in controlling ecological wellbeing of populations and effectiveness of social dynamics underlying science knowledge making.  The topics range from biotic interactions relevant to marine and agricultural contexts, pollution pathways in women and men, impact of transportation, societal changes affecting participation in science knowledge making. 

Plenary Session 5 Understanding Social Dynamics of Advancing Science Knowledge  

In this session, presentations and discussions will focus on gender aspects of social roles, relationships and interactions that influence the social dynamics of science knowledge making, for example in the communication and performance of teams, among diversity of problems solving and reasoning styles, in selection and choices of career directions, in collaborations and other social networks.  Also considered will be effects of societal change on the future of science labour force and the impact that access to research funding has on career development prospects of women and men.

Reception hosted by DG JRC Posters & Networking 

Day 2 Part 1: Integrating Inner and Outer Circles of Knowledge  

Plenary Session 6 Improving Sustainability and Effectiveness of Research Systems

In this session, presentations and discussions will focus on the best ways of utilising the scientific human capital found in the formal research and innovation systems (the inner circles) and in society at large (the outer circles).  This is motivated by t he increased focus on improving quality of research and innovation and their outcomes, the continued need to develop scientific human capital, the benefits of interdisciplinary approaches in study design, trend towards user-driven innovation, and the growing participation and success of women in higher education, as well as the opportunities to tap into the knowledge and experience of women who have left science careers.

Plenary Session 7 Enlarging Science Knowledge Making Communities 

The trends towards user-centred design, female-male balance among subjects of studies, involvement of diverse communities in research discovery process, for  example using gaming in discovery of protein structures, and crowd sourcing for identifying fresh solutions to persistent technical problems, have shown the capacity of those who are not part of formal research and innovation systems to invigorate the intellectual and cre ative dynamics of advancing effectiveness of science and technology through diversity of problem solving and reasoning styles.  This session will examine important contributions in this area and will point to future opportunities for more closer engagement of users and society in research and innovation process.

Poster Exhibition 

Day 2 Part 2: Latest advances at the ‘coalface” of gender research 

Topics connected to and with implications for EU2020 Strategy 

In this afternoon’s sessions the selected presentations and discussion, from abstracts submitted* to GS4EU, will cover a variety of topics pursued in current research where gender represents a key variable explored in the context of topics linked to EU 2020 strategy, which form the major themes of Horizon 2020.  Gender is seen in Horizon 2020 as cross-cutting topic and has been identified in over 100 Call descriptions, ranging from health, to food security, to transport, water, energy and environment.  The place of gender in Horizon 2020 has been established in Article 15 of the Horizon 2020 regulatory framework. Also in this part of the programme are knowledge sharing presentations reporting on the major achievements and lessons learnt in FP7 funded projects, as well as other significant developments in Europe and elsewhere.  

 Knowledge Sharing Forum: Lessons for science institutions and policy makers from FP7 and other projects and initiatives 

Past Framework Programmes, and efforts at national levels have resulted in many important projects that contributed to the gender discourse in research and innovation with many example of good practice and lessons learnt.  The aim of this session is to create a knowledge exchange forum for projects and initiatives which have made significant advances in improving the structures and processes that make the pursuit of research and innovation objectives and activities possible.  The main focus is on building communities of practice.  Contributing to this session will be on-going FP7 projects, such as GenPort, which is currently constructing, for the community, a portal for resources on gender issues in research and innovation, as well, also created through community involvement in North America, the Roadmap for Action for North America, which was the outcome of  the US National Science Foundation led the 2013 Gender Summit - North America.

* to submit an abstract for consideration by the GS4EU Scientific Committee go to the Submit page