Impact is a process of recognising and acting upon opportunities to add value to something so that it becomes more useful, more effective, and more important. Impact is achieved through communication, dissemination and exploitation activities, see the figure below from the guidelines produced by the European Commission.
The INSPIRE project aims to make significant contributions to advancing inclusive gender equality as a deliberate objective in R&I policies, practices and services. As part of this goal, INSPIRE is supporting 12 Communities of Practice (CoPs) in five focus areas with relevant expert advice. Support Package 3 (SPKg3) is designed to help CoPs and their members maximize impact of their activities, conducted during and as part of the INSPIRE project by providing expert 'how to' knowledge to help them design, organise, and conduct communication and dissemination activities in an effective and inclusive way.
The advice in SPKg3 ranges from defining the communication strategy, creating a realistic plan of action, translating results into interesting narratives, using stories as vehicles for involving the public, produce informative and culturally sensitive visual materials, and generally avoiding bias and stereotypes in the use of language and images, etc. The idea is that CoP members will have the opportunity to explore the content and select examples appropriate to their own purposes, which they can use as learning tools or adapt as needed, assisted, if needed, by INSPIRE experts.
SPKg3 is also designed to help CoP members boost impact of their work by providing expert advice on the practicalities of sharing knowledge, expanding professional networks, participating in advocacy, and engaging with policy because CoP members will also have opportunities to take part in other aspects of INSPIRE's work, e.g. knowledge exchange, dialogue sessions with experts, policy workshops, etc.
Many of the sources included in the current version of SPKg3 come from past EU projects, and especially ACT (on creating and supporting CoPs), GenPORT (on gateway to excellent resources on gender in science) and INSPIRE (on inclusive gender equality). However, SPKg3 is a living document in that the recommended resources will be regularly updated, guided by gender experts, and reviewed in the light of the CoPs own experience of using the Package.
The advice in SPKg3 is organised into two parts. Part 1 provides lists and summaries of essential criteria to follow when thinking about using communication and dissemination activities and materials as tools for creating impact. The featured success conditions stress the need for: 1) a strategic approach, 2) a well-defined and realistic plan of action, 3) an understanding of the target audience, 4) developing interesting and logical narratives, 5) using inclusive language and imagery, etc. Part 2 offers extensive collection of additional practical advice on how to maximise impact through knowledge sharing, networking, advocacy, intersectionality, and policy engagement to help CoP members take advantage of the wider range of the INSPIRE project's activities and pursue other occasions to influence R&I policy, practice and services. The document concludes with practical suggestions on how CoPs can manage (at operational level) their communication and dissemination activities and fully benefit from SPKg3 during the INSPIRE project, as well as how they can contribute concretely to its improvement.
Source: European Research Executive Agency, Communication, Dissemination & Exploitation what is the differences and why they matter, 16 July 2023
This part of SPKg3 provides several summaries and lists of expert criteria to help CoP members to identify, plan, organise, execute, and learn about effective communication and dissemination. Most of the examples are context-neutral and, to add value, suggestions are provided on how CoP members could use them to create content rich and context sensitive communication instruments for sharing results of their work.
The Library of the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) has developed the resource Create a Research Dissemination Plan1, which includes, at the links shown in the footnote, three specific examples of a research dissemination plan, as well as a template with 10 core questions and 20 sub-questions such as these:
- what are the objectives of the dissemination activities?
- what kind of findings/knowledge do you want to disseminate?
- with whom you want to share your knowledge, who are your target audiences?
- what kind of communication channels do these audiences use?
- what are the priority issues of your target audiences?
- what kind of outcomes you hope to achieve?
- what resources you have for dissemination?
- what methods do you envisage using?
- what are the potential barriers?
- how will you evaluate the use of your knowledge?
- how will you ensure sustainability of the dissemination actions?
- who is responsible for the execution of the dissemination plan, etc.?
The checklist below was produced by DG JRC whose role is to provide research evidence for policy making at EU level. The JRC's resource provides top tips for researchers and research organisations aiming to achieve policy impact, based on their practice at the science-policy interface including 10 Tips for Researchers: How to achieve impact on policy.
- Understand policymaking first. What are the policy goals? How are decisions made? Who are the key actors?
- Discuss and define relevant questions together with policymakers and stakeholders.
- Think about the policy impact of your research early, already when you design projects.
- Improving the use of scientific evidence in a conscious and systematic manner is not an individual task but a collective effort.
- Trust is vital and it is only possible if science and policy work closely together.
- Networking (online and offline) beyond scientific circles helps you gain visibility and start to establish your trustworthiness in policy circles.
- Communicating to policy makers requires different approaches than to scientists. Being able to tell a captivating story – that you can back up with facts – is sometimes more convincing than yet more facts.
- Policymakers may prefer a concise, cross-disciplinary synthesis of the existing knowledge base, instead of the latest piece of research.
- Often your background as well as professional and personal values influence the choices that guide your research.
- Avoid the temptation to smooth out uncertainties and disagreements within the knowledge base to try to help policymakers with a clearer message.
Horizon 2020 project QUEST produced an essential checklist on why and how to conduct effective communication targeted at public audience. It is the result of several focus groups and interviews with both scientists working in different fields and trainers experienced in science communication. The checklist also draws from the literature review of published studies on scientists’ perception and from available guidelines on science communication.
The advice includes the following considerations:
- Are you allocating enough time for preparation and improving your communication skills?
- Do you know who is your audience?
- Have you identified the key messages to deliver and kept the focus on them?
- Are you framing the message so that it sparks curiosity and is compelling to the public?
- Are you linking to current facts or events?
- Are you communicating something that you also care about?
- Are you telling stories or just delivering a list of facts or numbers?
- Are you using simple explanations, can it be understood by the public?
- Are you using short sentences?
- Have you strategically planned ways to open a dialogue and interact with your audience?
- Are you carefully thinking about how to keep your delivery or writing lively and monitoring the public’s reaction?
- Have you set out strategies for dealing with scepticism or distrust?
- Have you practiced your communication with non-experts?
- Are you in touch with your communication (or press) officers?
An important checkpoint missing in the QUEST list is:
- Are you using inclusive language that is free of bias and stereotypes?
The four examples below have been included in Part 1 to highlight how cultures can influence understandings of gender and gender relations and why gender knowledge provides a necessary analytical tool to identify biased assumptions.
- Use gender-inclusive (verbal and visual) language to prevent gender biases, stereotypes, and assumptions that perpetuate inequality. This subject is looked into in depth in the International Research Networking Project “Language and Gender: Academic Research and Practical Implementation”, 2023-24, https://www.qmul.ac.uk/sllf/linguistics/research/gender-inclusive-language/research-networking-project/. See the recordings and presentations from Workshop 1 at: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/sllf/linguistics/research/gender-inclusive-language/research-networking-project/conferences--events/terminology-conference/
- Be sensitive to the socio-cultural context of the construction of gender identities in relation to each other and as a function of differences in access to power and resources – and other inequalities. Be also aware that cultural constructions of gender exclude and alienate those who do not fit neatly into the gender categories. Good advice on this topic can be found in Facilitating discussion on gender issues, produced by The Council of Europe, https://www.coe.int/en/web/gender-matters/facilitating-discussion-on-gender-issues
- Be clear on what you mean by "gender" in R&I means being more specific than stating that gender is a socially defined category. In research, the concept ‘gender’ needs more precise and systematic definition to identify all the relevant aspects when formulating research questions. To exemplify how complex it is to construct gender as a research variable or topic, please read “What is gender anyway: a review of the options for operationalising gender”, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/19419899.2020.1729844?needAccess=true
- Understand the values underpinning public interest by avoiding neutral transfer of information. Science communication usually engages only facts, not values. However, science communication in the service of societal decision making must attend to values as well, e.g. through public participation. The paper on Bringing values and deliberation to science communication provides 10 rules for effective science-public communication, https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1212740110#t01
The Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) offers a means to ensure that a story fits with the targeted individuals pre-existing understanding of the world (congruence). This matters in terms of a story’s persuasiveness. Understanding the audience and clearly articulating a problem is essential if the narrative is to have the desired impact. To establish congruence, a story must contain language, symbols, causal structures, and other content that the audience recognizes as related to their preferred understanding of the world and themselves. These issues are discussed in How can we use the 'science of stories' to produce persuasive scientific stories, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-017-0047-7.
The inverted pyramid structure adopts a narrative where the most important information (or what might even be considered the conclusion) is presented first. The who, what, when, where and why appear at the start of a story, followed by supporting details and background information.
For more details check this link https://www.nngroup.com/articles/inverted-pyramid/
- Identify your key points. What piece of information is the key fact you want readers to know. What effectively summarizes all the information that will follow?
- Rank secondary information. Outline the story details and supporting information, prioritizing the information that is most likely to be of interest to the audience.
- Write well and concisely. Cut out unnecessary information.
- Use straightforward language. Use short paragraphs and bulleted lists.
- The main headline should be descriptive. The story should start with the main point. Each heading or subheading should be descriptive. The first sentence of every paragraph should be the most important. The first words in each sentence should be information-carrying and indicate what content will follow.
- Consider adding a summary or list of highlights. Some sites go a step beyond and add a summary or a bulleted list of key points to further emphasize the main takeaways of the content.
The power of infographics is demonstrated in the free training course from Open University. The course helps explore when and how infographics can be useful for communicating about research, providing examples of some good and bad practices in making and using infographics. The course concludes by introducing some free resources that can help users produce effective infographics and critically evaluate the infographics of others. The power of infographics in research dissemination https://www.open.edu/openlearn/education-development/the-power-infographics-research-dissemination/content-section-0?active-tab=description-tab
Using images requires careful considerations what is displayed and how the image can be interpreted by different groups of people. There is also the issue of copyright when using images. There are several sites where it is possible to find images that are free to use, for example pixabay.com, unsplash.com or pexels.com. It is essential to credit the photographer or creator.
Beware of the cost of contracting professional designers to produce good quality communications material. Ideas of the costs can be gained from https://www.theonlinescientist.com/pricing/
For more details check this link https://www.nngroup.com/articles/inverted-pyramid/
- Website in 1 day - Euro 1259, ex VAT, one page
- Unique website - Euro 3500, starting price
- Impact website - Euro 4750 starting price
- Hosting website - Europe 80-125 per month
- Social media story - Euro 950, starting price
- Infographics - Euro 1450-2250
- Animation - Euro 2250 - 5000 (1-2 min)
- E-learning starter - Euro 5000-10000 per hour
- E-learning - interactive - Euro 20000-30000 per hour
- E-learning evidence-based - Euro 4000050000 per hour
Inclusive assessment at NWO (Dutch Research Council)(website, videos, infographics, training module) https://www.nwo.nl/en/inclusive-assessment
NWO wanted to optimise its evaluation processes and broaden the often limited image of what a good researcher or a good proposal is. To facilitate this, NWO uses two videos for reviewers and committee members involved in the evaluation process. The videos provide information about implicit bias regarding this ideal image and provide practical suggestions, based on scientific research, to optimise the evaluation process.
Recruiting for excellence MNF UZH (Faculty of Science, U. Zurich) (website, brochure, video)
https://www.mnf.uzh.ch/en/fakultaet/gleichstellung/massnahmen.html
https://youtu.be/KK24Iteoojw
The Faculty of Science at MNF believed that systematic bias against women had important implications for every stage of a woman's scientific education and career. They, therefore, scrutinized the organisation's own recruitment and hiring processes and analysed the impact of new measures to counteract bias in decision making and in institutional procedures which were first implemented in 2015. These measures are explained in the flyer, Recruiting for Excellence (PDF, 8 MB) and in a training video, Professorial Recruitment and Selection at the MNF.
Diversity & Gender Equality Aarhus U (podcast series)
https://www.au.dk/podcasts/diversitet
The #DiversityAU podcast series explores key focus areas in Aarhus University’s work to promote diversity and gender equality. The second season focused on AU’s action plan for gender equality 2020-2022. Zooming in on the four focus areas of the action plan - recruitment, career development, leadership and workplace culture - Danish journalist Carsten Ortmann interviews four experts on each of these areas.
Narrative CVs in research assessment DORA (Declaration on Research Assessment) (position papers for funders)
https://sfdora.org/resource/using-narrative-cvs-process-optimization-and-bias-mitigation/
https://sfdora.org/resource/using-narrative-cvs-identifying-shared-objectives-and-monitoring-effectiveness/
When traditional CVs are reviewed, evaluators interpret a researcher’s achievements from lengthy bulleted lists, the formats of which are not consistent between candidates. As a result, individual researchers, as well as organizations, have generally welcomed the move away from these lists of achievements, to describing career trajectories and various contributions in more detail. These types of narrative give control back to the authors by allowing them to provide context for their contributions and achievements.
Girls day campaign VHTO 2024 (Dutch National Expert Organisation) – visual of career steeple chase (in Dutch):
https://www.vhto.nl/nieuws/social-media-campagne-rondom-girls-day-2024/
https://www.vhto.nl/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Girls-Day-2024-Factsheet-gecomprimeerd_1.pdf
Girls’ Day can be an important key experience for girls to choose a technical or IT profession. How girls choose these professions is not well understood. To make that choice self-evident, VHTO used Girls’ Day 2024 in their social media 'fix the system, not the girls' campaign to draw attention to the low proportion of women in technical and IT professions and to advocate for the removal of the obstacles girls and women can often encounter on the road to technical jobs.
Engendering success in STEM project, Canada (infographics, white paper collection)
https://successinstem.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/BBBB_Engendering-Success-in-STEM_White-Papers-Booklet_Final-Pages-Nov2023.pdf?x91758
The white paper below reveals how implicit gender stereotypes can affect both children and adults in subtle but profound ways. ‘Implicit Gender Stereotypes in Engineering’ first clarifies the distinction between implicit and explicit gender stereotypes and how each can cloud judgement and hinder equal opportunities for women’s advancement in STEM.
The resources listed below have been selected be gender experts to help CoP members 1) share and expand their knowledge on gender in an effective way, 2) translate their results into evidence for policy advice, 3) engage in advocacy and lobbying activities, 4) help improve conceptual and practical understanding of intersectional issues, and 5) building effective professional networks. The content of this table will be updated on a regular basis.
| Resource Name | Link to the Resource | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Horizon Europe Results Booster | https://www.horizonresultsbooster.eu/ | Support for Knowledge dissemination Service established by the Commission to offer opportunities to access free expert support, aimed to "support projects eager to ...steer research towards strong societal impact and concretising the value of Research and Innovation (R&I) activity for societal challenges". |
| Bias in conducting research: guidelines for young researchers regarding gender differences | https://blog.efpsa.org/2013/11/30/bias-in-conducting-research-guidelines-for-young-researchers-regarding-gender-differences/ | Support for Knowledge dissemination Guidelines and checklist for researchers to promote unprejudiced research by recognising researchers’ stereotypes and prejudices about gender that may be unknowingly, but systematically implemented in the research process. |
| Sager Guidelines and Checklist on sex and gender equity in research | https://ease.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/EASE-SAGER-Checklist-2022.pdf | Support for Knowledge dissemination SAGER is a comprehensive procedure for reporting of sex and gender information in study design, data analysis, results and interpretations of findings. It is primarily designed to guide authors in preparing their manuscripts but is also useful for editors to integrate assessment of sex and gender in the manuscripts as part of the editorial process |
| NIHR Guidelines of co-producing a research project | https://www.learningforinvolvement.org.uk/content/resource/nihr-guidance-on-co-producing-a-research-project/ | Support for Knowledge dissemination. This guidance explains what is meant by co-producing a research project. It sets out the key principles and features of co-producing and suggests ways to realise them. It outlines some of the key challenges that will need addressing. |
| Requirements on inclusion of sex in experimental design | https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/funding-for-researchers/applying-for-funding/policies-that-affect-your-grant/sex-in-experimental-design | Support for Knowledge dissemination. Cancer Research UK requires male and female sexes to be used in the design of experiments described in all funding applications to us that involve animals, human and animal tissues, and cells. Examples of the design of in vivo experiments can equally be applied to studies involving cells or tissues. |
| Toolkit on gender in EU-funded research | https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/c17a4eba-49ab-40f1-bb7b-bb6faaf8dec8 | Support for Knowledge dissemination The aim of the Toolkit is to provide the research community with practical guidance on how to integrate gender into research and help researchers to understand the “gender and science” issue and make them more sensitive towards the gender dimension of/in science |
| Applying Delphi method to explore gender issues in STEM education | https://www.ejmste.com/article/applying-the-delphi-method-with-early-career-researchers-to-explore-a-gender-issues-agenda-in-stem-12508 | Support for Knowledge dissemination An application of the Delphi Method, with a broader interpretation of the notion of “expert” as a qualitative tool to explore gender issues in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Its aim is to analyse the use of the DM as a technique to achieve agreement among a group of early-career researchers, who are not considered “experts” in the traditional sense. |
| Participatory Methods Toolkit | https://archive.unu.edu/hq/library/Collection/PDF_files/CRIS/PMT.pdf | Support for Knowledge dissemination A hands-on toolkit for starting up and managing participatory projects. The core of the toolkit consists of 10 in depth fiches with detailed requirements of 10 common participatory methods. In addition, the Toolkit contains a brief overview of almost 40 other methods and techniques. |
| Columbia University best practice faculty mentoring | https://provost.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/content/MentoringBestPractices.pdf | Support for Knowledge dissemination This guide helps academic leaders and faculty members who wish to use mentoring as a strategy to facilitate faculty success. Target constituencies are: schools/departments; faculty who wish to act as mentors; faculty who need or wish for career guidance. |
| Best Practice for Collecting Gender and Sex data | https://www.fcsm.gov/assets/files/docs/B1Martinez.pdf | Support for Knowledge dissemination Guidelines from US Bureau of labour statistics for statistical practitioners on how to collect and analyse data on sex and gender. |
| Certified Peer Reviewer Course | https://researcheracademy.elsevier.com/navigating-peer-review/certified-peer-reviewer-course | Support for Knowledge dissemination A thorough grounding course in the principles and practice of refereeing co-created, developed and in part delivered by editors from across different journals |
| ACT videos | https://www.act-on-gender.eu/act-videos | Support for Knowledge dissemination 12 videos with gender experts explaining different gender inequality issues in research |
| ACT interviews with experts | https://www.act-on-gender.eu/act-videos | Support for Knowledge dissemination 13 interviews with gender experts on different sex/gender issues in research |
| How to create science blog | https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/apr/17/science-blog-wellcome-trust-writing-prize | Support for Knowledge dissemination Detailed guide produced by the Guardian in collaborations with Wellcome on how to set up a science blog |
| CORDIScovery | https://cordis.europa.eu/videos-podcasts | Support for Knowledge dissemination CORDIS articles, videos and blogs on research results from different projects |
| Using Social Media in EU funded R&I Projects | https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/social-media-guide_he_en.pdf?trk=article-ssr-frontend-pulse_little-text-block | Support for Knowledge dissemination A booklet of about 20 pages, in English, in which beneficiaries find guidance on how to use social media in Horizon Europe projects. The guide offers brief but precise indications, also warning users of the risks of social media. It also suggests how to maintain an appropriate style, content and tone: limit the number of technical words, publish short, clear and catchy posts, make content available in several languages |
| Cochrane Checklist and Guidance for disseminating findings from Cochrane Intervention review | https://training.cochrane.org/sites/training.cochrane.org/files/public/uploads/Checklist%20FINAL%20version%201.1%20April%202020pdf.pdf | Although the aim of the guidance is to improve the quality of dissemination products that present the findings of Cochrane intervention reviews (i.e. reviews of effectiveness), the advice would be also very helpful for other dissemination products that present review findings. |
| Women leaders role models | https://sciencebusiness.net/article-list/breaking-glass-ceiling-conversations-women-leaders-academia | Support for Knowledge dissemination, policy 15 women leaders explain their pathways to leadership roles |
| UKRI EDI strategy | https://www.ukri.org/who-we-are/mrc/our-policies-and-standards/embedding-diversity-in-research-design/ | Support for Knowledge dissemination, policy UKRI strategy and standards for embedding EDI values in research design |
| JRC indicators of inequality | https://composite-indicators.jrc.ec.europa.eu/multidimensional-inequality | Support for Knowledge dissemination, policy Indicators on multidimensional aspects of inequality developed by JRC |
| DIMIS Diversity Minimal Item Set | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352554123001067 | Support for knowledge dissemination, policy, intersectionality Nine diversity domains focused on intersectional approach: gender, age, socioeconomic status, care responsibilities, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, disability, mental and physical health, and their intersections. |
| Organising an inclusive and accessible conference | https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2020-0017 | Support for knowledge dissemination, networking Help for conference organizers to get started with planning an inclusive conference. Local institutional offices (such as offices of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Anti-Racism, etc.) or service providers are likely to provide excellent and comprehensive resources |
| EU Citizens’ engagement approach and methods in R&I foresight | https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/d5916d5f-1562-11ee-806b-01aa75ed71a1/language-en/format-PDF/source-288573394 | Support for Policy Part of the R&I foresight, policy, and practice Mutual Learning Exercise (MLE), supported by the European Commission's DG Research & Innovation (DG R&I), focused on approaches and methods for engaging citizens in R&I foresight. |
| Embracing complexity and uncertainty to create impact: exploring the processes and transformative potential of co-produced research through development of a social impact model | https://health-policy-systems.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12961-018-0375-0 | Support for Policy Opinion paper with six Canadian and United Kingdom case studies to explore the principles and practice of co-production and illustrate how it can influence interactions between research, policy and practice, and benefit diverse stakeholders |
| House of Commons Science and Technology Committee: Diversity and inclusion in STEM | https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmsctech/95/report.html | Support for Policy Parliamentary inquiry into diversity and inclusion in STEM, to explore the situation for women, people from certain ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities, those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds and those who declared themselves as being LGBTQ+ |
| EU Supporting and connecting policymaking in the Member States with scientific research | https://horizoneurope.ie/event/supporting-and-connecting-policymaking-in-the-member-states-with-scientific-research-launch-event | Support for Policy COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT, Brussels, 25.10.2022 SWD(2022) seeks to promote policy debates and development in the area of a better use of scientific knowledge for policymaking in the Member States. It lays out the rationale for building capacity for science for policy. |
| NAP Effective Mentoring in STEMM: Practice, Research, and Future Directions | https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24815/effective-mentoring-in-stemm-practice-research-and-future-directions-proceedings | Support for Policy Topics across the mentoring field: definitions, theories, practices, perspectives, evidence, research, identity, and reflection, with a particular emphasis on identifying the evidence supporting successful mentoring practices for women and students of colour. |
| APA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Toolkit for Journal Editors | https://www.apa.org/pubs/authors/equity-diversity-inclusion-toolkit | Support for Policy This toolkit includes resources, standards, and initiatives available to APA’s editors to support and strengthen their journal’s equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) efforts, with 30 recommendations for how journal editors can promote equity. |
| Council of Europe: Gender Budgeting practical implementation | https://rm.coe.int/1680599885 | Support for Policy Handbook on how to do gender budgeting |
| EU Scientific Advice to European Policy | https://op.europa.eu/en-GB/publication-detail/-/publication/5cb9ca21-0500-11ea-8c1f-01aa75ed71a1/language-en | Support for Policy Explanation of the scientific advice mechanisms from the Group of Scientific Adviser to the European Commission |
| EU Ex-post evaluation of Horizon 2020 | https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2024%3A49%3AFIN&%3Bqid=1706527941657 | Support for Policy Commission Staff working document on the progress and achievements of H2020 |
| JRC Scientific Advice Policy | https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/dataset/k4p-dataset-44904_en | Support for Policy Part of a 2-day professional training course material on assessing science, understanding policymaking processes, and gaining insight into the interaction between the different paradigms in which scientists, policymakers, and politicians operate. |
| Narrative CV Preparation Survey for a workshop (Luxemburg National Research Fund) | https://www.fnr.lu/narrative-cv-workshop/ | Support for Policy Details of a workshop, presentations, a survey, and examples of participatory consultation approach. |
| Nature guide for mentors | https://www.nature.com/articles/447791a | Support for Policy This resource provides a basis for reflection on what comprises good mentoring, presented with examples of quotable quotes and attributes based on the distillation of the opinion of more than 350 scientists writing as nominated mentor or their nominating mentees |
| Swiss Universities Professorial Recruitment Recommendations and Good Practices | https://www.swissuniversities.ch/fileadmin/swissuniversities/Dokumente/Kammern/Kammer_UH/Professorial_Recruitment_Recommendations_and_Good_Practices.pdf | Support for Policy Recommendations and good practices on the policy and process levels, to foster critical reflection on professorial hiring among member institutions, to establish standards for the appointment of professors, and, more generally, a culture more sensitive to diversity aspects. |
| Southampton University EDI staff questions | https://www.southampton.ac.uk/diversity/measuring-edi/monitoring.page | Support for Policy Detailed description of what data are collected and for what purpose I the university |
| DORA Using Narrative CVs | https://zenodo.org/records/5799414#.YeM-41lOlPY | Support for Policy Key learnings and recommended actions from a workshop co-sponsored by the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and the Funding Organisations for Gender Equality Community of Practice (FORGEN CoP) on the adoption of narrative CVs for funding organizations. |
| JRC 10 tips for researchers: How to achieve impact on policy | https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/dataset/k4p-dataset-44904_en | Support for Policy Part of a 2-day professional training course material on assessing science, understanding policymaking processes, and gaining insight into the interaction between the different paradigms in which scientists, policymakers, and politicians operate. |
| JRC Informing Policy Exercise Audience Analysis | https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/dataset/k4p-dataset-44904_en | Support for Policy Part of a 2-day professional training course material on assessing science, understanding policymaking processes, and gaining insight into the interaction between the different paradigms in which scientists, policymakers, and politicians operate. |
| JRC Informing Policy Exercise Speed Dating w DISC | https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/dataset/k4p-dataset-44904_en | Support for Policy Part of a 2-day professional training course material on assessing science, understanding policymaking processes, and gaining insight into the interaction between the different paradigms in which scientists, policymakers, and politicians operate. |
| APA Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI): Inclusive Language Guidelines | https://www.apa.org/about/apa/equity-diversity-inclusion/language-guidelines | Support for policy and knowledge dissemination Guidelines to raise awareness, guide learning, and support the use of culturally sensitive terms and phrases that centre the voices and perspectives of those who are often marginalized or stereotyped. |
| Research Impact Canvas | https://www.au.dk/fileadmin/user_upload/Awareness_THE_RESEARCH_IMPACT_CANVAS.pdf | Support for Policy, advocacy/lobbying This tool is a two-page canvas to help the researchers think about their research, stakeholders, ownership of research results, etc. from a research impact perspective, and ultimately about how to impact society with their research. |
| JRC Monitoring Tool for measuring gender equality | https://composite-indicators.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ges-monitor | Support for Policy, advocacy/lobbying The Gender Equality Strategy Monitoring Portal is designed to allow policy makers, researchers, and stakeholders assess progress on the policy objectives of the Gender Equality Strategy, identify strengths and opportunities and follow developments over time. |
| CESAER best-practices-equality-diversity-and-inclusion | https://www.cesaer.org/content/5-operations/2019/20190906-best-practices-equality-diversity-and-inclusion.pdf | Support for Policy, knowledge dissemination Best practice examples of EDI actions taken by 23 institutions |
| Gender bias in academic life-time problem that needs a solution | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896627321004177 | Support for Policy, advocacy/lobbying Detailed analysis showing that gender bias is not a single problem but manifests as a collection of distinct issues that impact researchers’ lives. The report disentangles these facets and proposes concrete solutions that can be adopted by individuals, academic institutions, and society. |
| EIB Support for female entrepreneurs. Survey evidence why it makes sense | https://www.eib.org/en/publications/support-for-female-entrepreneurs-survey-evidence-for-why-it-makes-sense | Support for Policy and lobbying Three surveys — the EIB Investment Survey (EIBIS) 2021, the EIBIS Startup and Scaleup Survey 2019 and the EBRD-EIB-World Bank Group Enterprise Survey — show that supporting female-led businesses makes good economic sense, as these companies generate wider economic, social and environmental benefits. |
| Stockholm University: Implementing a mode for diversity and inclusion | https://www.su.se/polopoly_fs/1.608203.1649685623!/menu/standard/file/Gear%20up%20.pdf | Support for advocacy and lobbying PPT format summarising the Gear Up project conducted with Volvo |
| JRC The Communities of Practice Playbook | https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC122830 | Support for Networking Based on scientific evidence the toolbox helps run and develop communities, networks and any other formal or informal structures that require collaboration and cooperation between various stakeholders who need to work together with a common purpose and vision. |
| ACM Virtual Conference Guide to Best Practice | https://people.clarkson.edu/~jmatthew/acm/VirtualConferences_GuideToBestPractices_CURRENT.pdf | Support for Networking, knowledge dissemination, advocacy lobbying Practical introduction to virtual conferences, assembled and curated by members of the Association for Computing Machinery’s Presidential Task Force on What Conferences Can Do to Replace Face-to-Face Meetings. |
| The Communities of Practice Playbook | https://op.europa.eu/webpub/jrc/communities-of-practice-playbook/en/index.html | Networking, knowledge dissemination Methodology to assist organisations in developing communities, networks and other formal or informal structures that require collaboration and cooperation between various stakeholders who need to work together with a common purpose and vision. |
| GENERA Network | https://www.genera-network.eu/ | Support for Networking, knowledge dissemination Roadmap, toolbox and top gender equality measures for implementing GEPS (in physics institutions) |
| A quick guide to networking for scientists | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165614723002377 | Support for Networking Describes different forms of networking |
| Effective Research Networking Tips for Researchers | https://researcher.life/blog/article/7-effective-networking-tips-for-researchers/ | Support for Networking Describes different forms of networking for researchers |
| Researcher Academy | https://researcheracademy.elsevier.com/ | Support for Networking Researcher Academy provides free access to countless e-learning resources designed to support researchers on every step of their research journey. |
| The Intersectionality Toolbox: A Resource for Teaching and Applying an Intersectional Lens in Public Health | https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.772301/full | Support for Intersectional analysis A framework developed from a variety of interdisciplinary resources designed to apply an intersectional perspective to public health issues. This article describes the Intersectionality Toolbox and details how it can be utilized in public health classes. |
| An Intersectionality-Based Policy Analysis Framework | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25492385/ | Support for Intersectional analysis Specified the variety of factors that influence and shape health to promote equity, sustainability and healthy public policy; improve the quality of decision-making; promote social and environmental justice; encourage public participation in public policy. |
| Gendered Innovations: intersectional approaches | https://genderedinnovations.stanford.edu/methods/intersect.html | Support for Intersectional analysis Explains how to ensure that study design has included analysis of intersections between gender and other human characteristics |
| Beyond sex and. gender: intersectional view of Covid pandemic | https://www.qmul.ac.uk/gpi/media/global-policy-institute/Policy-brief-COVID-19-and-intersectionality.pdf | Support for Intersectional analysis Shows eight categories of factors that played a role together with with sex and gender on the impact of COVID and diversities in outcomes |
| Resource type | Estimated hours needed | Description in relation to SPkg3 aim |
|---|---|---|
| Expert gender advice on turning facts into stories | 5 hours | Facilitating dialogue between CoP members, Press Officers from their institutions create a template for a Press Briefing, |
| Change Catalyst on policy impact | 5 Hours | Identifying Target policy audience and producing messages tailored to their interests |
| Technical communication advisor on infographics and social media | 10 hours | Creating an infographic and social media messages |
| Desktop researcher | 5 hours | Mapping the target audience with the help of INSPIRE Stakeholder Database |
| INSPIRE resource name | What it includes? | Description in relation to SPKg3 aim |
|---|---|---|
| Stakeholder Database | Details of organisations and persons | Database to map experts + stakeholders including type of organisation (RFO/RPO etc) and people (national/ thematic experts, practitioners, policymakers etc). |
| Visions of intersecting equality in R&I | Workshop design and activities | Report documenting the outcomes of the foresight workshop held with research funders and key policy stakeholders – to reimagine an inclusive gender equality future in R&I. Includes roadmap to detail INSPIRE's role in realising this vision |
| Participatory policy consultations | Workshop design and results of participatory discussion | Policy brief - including recommendations on how to achieve the INSPIRE intersecting equality vision in R&I. |
| Report on barriers and drivers for effective EDI policies | Case studies | Report details main case study findings - including those barriers and facilitating factors of effective intersectional EDI policies. |
| Resource type | What it includes? | Description in relation to SPkg3 aims |
|---|---|---|
| Change Catalysts | Contracted hours for the preparation, coordination and periodic evaluations of the CoP | Identification and selection of participating stakeholders. Elaboration of the dissemination plan, selection of target stakeholders, and of information to be shared. Preparation, coordination, and registration of each meeting. Dissemination of resources provided by the participants. Coordinate and facilitate CoP development. Plan and oversee progress of CoP activities. Elaboration of the materials on the characteristics, objectives, and expected results of the CoP. |
| Expert advice | Contracted hours of mentors and experts | Provide support and input to CoPs through their specific and in-depth knowledge of Gender Equality, Diversity, Inclusion, and Intersectionality according to the context (workshop/ seminar). Assist in the intersectional analysis (mentoring, consultancy, training). Communication expert with understanding of visual tools |
| Travel and accommodation | Travel and accommodation costs of experts and CoP members for different occasions like periodic meetings, workshops, seminars. | Costs related to organization of and attendance to meetings/ workshops/ seminars. |
| In-person workshop | Hiring the room, providing refreshments | Costs related to hosting the event |
| Resource type | What it includes? | Description in relation to SPkg3 aims |
|---|---|---|
| Kick off meeting | Venue and travel. | Establishing strategic focus for dissemination and communication activities: who is the audience, what are their information needs, how to engage them, which channels and what content to use etc. |
| Engaging experts on gender, policy, and communication | Contracted hours | Creating templates and content for communication and dissemination activities, e.g. white paper, blogs, Press Release, Policy Brief Checking content and language to identify possible bias or stereotypes in the media used, e.g., in bogs, infographic white papers etc |
| Engaging technical support for visual and social media communication | Contracted hours | Selecting visual representations and creating story lines for online communication |
| Engaging dissemination partner(s) | on-line | Creating dissemination network to co-create content for Newsletters or web blogs promoting inclusive gender equality |
| Engaging CoP experts and Change Catalysts | on-line | Overseeing how SPKg3 is utilised and managed and provide recommendations for improvement. |
- Improved understanding and skills on how to use dissemination and communication to achieve impact
- New, innovative materials for communication designed
- Enhanced networking opportunities explored to identify dissemination partners
- CoP members are familiar with dissemination and communication best practices
- CoP members gain experience of creating targeted dissemination and communication plans and messages
- CoP members gain experience of tailoring communication messages to the interests of specific audiences
- CoP members gain improved understanding of how to target dissemination at policy frameworks
- CoP members provided useful feedback on the content and usefulness of SPKg3 as well as recommendations for improvement
- Other
SPKg3 can also be used to make specific and practical contributions to enhance the impact of INSPIRE as a project. These contributions may be related to one or more of the outcomes listed below:
- Expanded experience of using gender knowledge in research and innovation institutional practices
- Understanding contextual barriers and enablers to advancing inclusive gender equality
- Recommendations for training/learning on implementing EDI policies
- Experience of engaging stakeholders in promoting inclusive gender sensitive innovation policy
- Building INSPIRE network of stakeholders with shared interests and agendas.
- Identifying emerging topics and needs for advancing inclusive gender equality
- Experience of and building fresh communication channels with policy makers.
- Identifying, involving, and promoting national and domain experts
- Identifying gender and context sensitive ‘success’ stories of gender equality best practice
- Promoting INSPIRE as the port of call for expertise on inclusive GE in R&I
- Showcasing INSPIRE’s resources, value potential, and accomplishments.
- Contribution to achieving the mission of INSPIRE as centre of excellence
- Contribution to sustainability of the INSPIRE's mission
- Development of skills for innovative dissemination approaches
- Adding to dissemination resources to the INSPIRE's deliverables
- Experience of networking/lobbying/advocacy activities to promote inclusive gender equality best practice
- Strengthening the use of CoPs as knowledge producing, disseminating, and lobbying actors
- Other