1) How can the term gender dimension be defined in Horizon Europe?

The gender aspect in Horizon Europe is not only about counting the number of women and men. It focuses on three levels: gender balance in the research team, gender balance in the bodies that make decisions and third, gender/sex analysis as a component of the research and innovation- how you design, conduct and interpret your work. 

2) Does my project really require the integration of the gender dimension?

Yes, more or less, on most calls: whenever it is pertinent to your subject, the European Commission would like you to mention the gender aspect specifically. A Gender Equality Plan (GEP) is already a formal eligibility requirement in many institutions, and panellist are advised to determine whether gender has been taken seriously or not in the proposal. Leaving it unattended can literally cause a score cut. 

3) What does the European Commission actually examine in regard to gender in a proposal?

There are four aspects that the Commission is concerned about according to the article: 

-Gender balance in research teams – Who does the work at all levels.

-Gender balance in the decision-making – Who occupies boards, the direction of groups, advisory panels.

-Gender dimension in content of R&I – Does your research questions, methods and analyses consider sex and gender differences where appropriate?

-Overcoming gender bias – Does your sampling, data collection, indicators, or interpretation have a bias?

Having a good proposal is an indicator that you have considered all four even though there are a few projects where only two or three of them are considerably pertinent.

4) What do I begin with in order to incorporate the gender dimension of a very technical or natural-science project?

You begin by a gender analysis of your research design: inquire how sex or gender might have any bearing on your subject. In biomedical projects, it can usually be checking the presence of sex-specific differences in disease occurrence, outcomes or treatment response, in engineering or digital projects it can be access to technology, user behaviour, or work-related exposure. The trick is to demonstrate how you have searched the literature about gender-based discrepancies and incorporated those findings into your research questions and goals. 

5) What is the appearance of a gender-balanced research team?

The Commission does not put a strict quota, but reviewers prefer to observe: 

-An apparent way of striving to have a balanced representation, at every level (PhD students to the work package leaders).

-Specific recruiting policies and internal practices that can effectively achieve gender equality (transparent hiring, parental leave, flexible working, mentoring).

-Brief description of how you are going to track and balance this over the life of the project.

In Horizon proposals, this is normally dealt with in the Implementation section and the description of the consortium.

6) What are gender-sensitive methodologies and what do I mean by them?

-Gender-sensitive methodologies are merely practices that represent and honor gender differences as opposed to concealing them. The examples provided in the article include: 

-Breaking down the data according to sex or gender in analysis.

-Applying indicators that are able to establish variations among women, men and other gender categories.

-Planning the data collection instruments to be gender bias (e.g. such that they do not imply stereotyping).

7) Is it necessary to incorporate gender issues in training the consortium?

Yes and it is specifically encouraged. The article suggests organizing training and capacity building regarding gender equality among team members: workshops, seminars, or online courses about the integration of sex/gender analysis, bias identification, and work with an inclusive practice. The fact that you mention such activities (with a modest, feasible budget) sends a powerful message that you are not a cosmetic commitment. 

8) What about relating gender to the Impact section, societal impact?

You need to be very clear about the connection between your findings and the elimination of gender inequalities or the prevention of their emergence. As an example, you could come up with technologies that are equally available to every gender, create medical devices that are proven to work in both genders or even suggest policies that would practically endorse gender equality in your field. The article asserts that this consideration of gender and its influence on society enhances scientific topicality and the alignment of the proposal with Horizon Europe. 

9) What of Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) – is this necessary to us all?

Since 2024, some, though not all, types of organisations seeking to receive Horizon Europe funding (e.g. most public research institutions and higher-education organisations) are required to have a Gender Equality Plan. The reading refers to a step-by-step toolkit provided by the European Institute of Gender Equality, which can help to establish a GEP in the event that your institution does not have one. Although it may not be something you are formally obligated to have, a GEP (or, partner GEPs) causes your consortium to appear more mature and compliant. 

10) What EU resources would assist us in going over the top?

It is explicitly recommended in the article that: 

-The Gender Equality in EU Research and Innovation guidelines of the European Commission.

-Advice on gender aspects in proposals at country level offered by National Contact Points (NCPs)

-The European Institute of Gender Equality (EIGE) resource materials, templates, and toolkit to write GEPs.

11) This is intersected with microfluidics or hard-tech projects where gender is perceived as being distant?

Gender also continues to play a role in highly technical areas (microfluidic devices, lab-on-chip, automation) even though, in these areas, it is often not explicitly stated who will be using the technology, what data are being used to validate it, and who will be the beneficiaries of the final solutions. An example of how a microfluidic diagnostic can be tested on sex-balanced cohorts is validated; a wearable device will need to support differences in anatomy and the practices of the users of different genders. The MIC article is composed specifically to the natural-science and engineering teams that are likely to overlook such aspects and require tangible links in order to integrate them accordingly. 

12) Does MIC really assist us to incorporate the gender aspect in a Horizon proposal?

Yes. Although MIC is most skilled in microfluidic engineering, automation and prototype development, the team often co-writes Horizon Europe proposals, as well as is accustomed to aligning technical work packages with cross-cutting requirements, including gender, SSH and open science. MIC is commonly helpful to partners in practice: 

-Detect the applicability of gender in validation and design of experiments.

-Present gender-based commitments in such a manner that is credible and auditable.

-Make sure that there is consistency between the excellence, impact and implementation and gender.