The Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research is participating in a new advocacy platform intended to promote among for example gender perspectives in the EU research programme Horizon 2020. The platform is also meant to strengthen the funding opportunities for Swedish research projects.
The ambition to increase the Swedish participation in Swafs, Science with and for Society, which is a sub-programme within Horizon 2020, has sparked the formation of the national platform Påverkan, samverkan, medverkan – en plattform för större svenskt genomslag i Swafs [Influence, cooperation , participation – a platform for increased Swedish impact in Swafs]. The platform is funded by the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova, which serves as the national contact node for H2020.
One purpose of the advocacy platform is to disseminate knowledge to various actors about the different dimensions of Swafs, spread awareness of the need to address these dimensions in project proposals in order to be granted funding, as well as serve as a contact node between organisations and researchers nationally and internationally.
The Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research is one of about 50 actors participating in the platform. The Secretariat’s main role in the project is to promote gender perspectives in research and contribute to interaction with researchers and experts in the area of gender and gender equality.
As the European Commission has now started to develop guidelines for the next programme period, the timing of the platform is perfect, says Maria Lindholm, director of research at Public & Science, coordinator of the platform.
‘The timing is good this year. The European Commission is just now beginning to plan the next work programme, for 2018–2020, so we’re at a very early stage in the process. We will try to influence the calls for project proposals to make them harmonise with what we’re good at in Sweden in order to strengthen our potential to receive EU funding,’ she says.
Right now, a platform website and a manual for Swedish actors applying for research funding within Horizon 2020 are under development. The manual will be published on the platform’s website in the latter part of 2016. There are also plans to arrange a conference in Brussels in order to gather people from different countries and from relevant organizations and institutions in Brussels that work with Swafs issues.
Swafs is to promote cooperation between research, innovation and various sectors of society. Swafs is separated into different dimensions, or areas: gender equality, societal engagement, ethics, science education, open access/open science and RRI (Responsible Research and Innovation) governance. In addition to Swafs, these dimensions shall also permeate the entire research programme Horizon 2020.