Scope:

The action provides support to RPOs and RFOs in order to implement Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) as "drivers" for systemic institutional changes. The proposed GEPs structure must address the following:

• Conduct assessment / audit of procedures and practices, including relevant data on HR management, teaching and research activities, in order to identify gender bias at organisation level;

• Implement effective strategies to address gender bias; this shall include actions such as family-friendly policies (e.g. work schedule’s flexibility; parental leave; mobility, dual-career couples), gender planning and budgeting, training on gender equality in Human Resources (HR) management, the integration of gender dimension in research content and programmes and/or the inclusion of gender studies in Higher Education Institution curricula;

• Set targets and monitor progress via indicators at organisation level.

The proposals must include a first assessment of gender issues in each partner organisation. Based on this assessment, effective strategies will be designed to cover organisational features, people and processes, as well as potential impacts.

The proposals shall also explain the planned GEPs in the context of existing national provisions (national legislation, specific incentives, possible barriers, etc) relating to gender equality in research. They shall explain how they will contribute to the achievement of the European Research Area (ERA) objectives on gender equality.

The RPOs - including Higher Education Institutions- and RFOs, involved as partners in the consortium must be at a starting/initial stage in the setting-up of gender equality plans. The allocation of resources within the consortium shall focus on the implementation of GEPs in the partner organisations. If a limited number of other partners which are not implementing GEP's are part of the consortium, they shall explain their role and their specific contribution to the project in line with the text and requirements of the call.

The proposals shall ensure the support from their highest management level and provide proof of their commitment in the implementation of GEPs. The role of the middle management in the implementation of the GEPs shall be explained.

Participation of RFOs and professional associations in the consortium is recommended.

The proposals shall include a methodology for impartially evaluating the progress made on gender equality plans throughout the duration of the project. The methodology for the evaluation should be thought as formative, helping the partners to adapt their GEP's as necessary. This activity could be dedicated to a specific partner organisation within the consortium with the appropriate expertise or it can be subcontracted. Specific work package and deliverable(s) should be introduced in the proposal.

Project duration of at least 48 months is recommended.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 1.5 million and 2.03 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

This action allows for the provision of financial support to third parties in line with the conditions set out in Part K of the General Annexes.

Expected Impact:

The proposed action will contribute to increase the number of RPOs and RFOs starting to implement gender equality plans pursuing the three objectives mentioned above under "specific challenge". In the medium to long term, activities will contribute to the achievement of ERA in particular by increasing the number of female researchers, improving their careers and mobility. The integration of the gender dimension in research programmes and content will contribute to the quality of research and the social value of innovations.

Topic conditions and documents

Please read carefully all provisions below before the preparation of your application.

1. List of countries and applicable rules for funding: described in part A of the General Annexes of the General Work Programme.
   Note also that a number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon 2020 projects (follow the links to Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Hong Kong&Macau, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Taiwan).
    
2. Eligibility and admissibility conditions: described in part B and C of the General Annexes of the General Work Programme [, with the following exceptions]:
   
   Proposal page limits and layout: Please refer to Part B of the standard proposal template.
    
3. Evaluation
   
   3.1  Evaluation criteria and procedure, scoring and threshold: described in part H of the General Annexes of the General Work Programme [, with the following exceptions]:
   
   3.2 Submission and evaluation process: Guide to the submission and evaluation process
      
4. Indicative timetable for evaluation and grant agreement:
   
   Information on the outcome of single-stage evaluation: maximum 5 months from the deadline for submission.
   Signature of grant agreements: maximum 8 months from the deadline for submission.
    
5. Provisions, proposal templates and evaluation forms for the type(s) of action(s) under this topic:
   
   Coordination and Support Action:
   
   Specific provisions and funding rates
   Standard proposal template
   Standard evaluation form
   H2020 General MGA -Multi-Beneficiary
   Annotated Grant Agreement
    
6. Additional provisions:
   
   Horizon 2020 budget flexibility
   
   Classified information
   
   Technology readiness levels (TRL) – where a topic description refers to TRL, these definitions apply.
   
   Financial support to Third Parties – where a topic description foresees financial support to Third Parties, these provisions apply.
    
7. Open access must be granted to all scientific publications resulting from Horizon 2020 actions, and proposals must refer to measures envisaged. Where relevant, proposals should also provide information on how the participants will manage the research data generated and/or collected during the project, such as details on what types of data the project will generate, whether and how this data will be exploited or made accessible for verification and re-use, and how it will be curated and preserved.

This topic participates per default in the open access to research data pilot which aims to improve and maximise access to and re-use of research data generated by projects:
• The pilot applies to the data needed to validate the results presented in scientific publications. Additionally, projects can choose to make other data available for open access and need to describe their approach in a Data Management Plan (to be provided within six months after the project start).
• Note that the evaluation phase proposals will not be evaluated more favourably because they are part of the Pilot, and will not be penalised for opting out of the Pilot.
• Projects can at any stage opt-out of the pilot.

The legal requirements for projects participating in this pilot are in the article 29.3 of the Model Grant Agreement.
Further information on the Open Research Data Pilot is made available in the H2020 Online Manual.

8. Additional documents:

H2020 Work Programme 2016-17: Science with and for society

H2020 Work Programme 2016-17: Dissemination, Exploitation and Evaluation

H2020 Work Programme 2016-17: General Annexes