Presentation held by Maxime Forest (SciencesPo) during the webinar "A closer look to unconscious bias and what RFOs can do", organised by SUPERA on 16 December 2021. More info are available here: https://www.superaproject.eu/a-closer-look-at-unconscious-bias-and-what-rfos-can-do/

1. Gender bias in research
agenda-setting and
programme & project
evaluation
A closer look at unconscious bias and what RFOs can do

2. A quick introduction to unconscious bias
UNCONSCIOUS BIAS
Occurs when we make judgments or decisions on the basis of
our prior experience, deep-seated thought patterns,
assumptions or interpretations, and we are not aware of it.
The irony is that prejudice and discrimination are by-products
of human cognition…

3. A quick introduction to unconscious bias

4. A quick introduction to unconscious bias
GENDER BLINDNESS
Usually refers to failing to take into
account potential sex differences
and the gendered roles and
conducts and women and men in
society when designing research
projects, programs or policies.
It leads to reproducing biases,
stereotypes and inequalities.

5. From bio-medical research…

6. …through algorithm

7. … to artificial intelligence
License: Joy Buolamwini — Mit Lab Press Kit

8. Well: virtually everywhere!

9. Access to research funding

10. Access to research funding
% Women ERC (2007-2016)

11. Access to research funding
% Women ERC (2007-2016)

12. General project calls, French Research Agency
2015-2018
Phase 1 (pre-selection) / Phase 2 (funded)
Access to research funding

13. Success rates for male and female applicants for each phase
in the grant review procedure (NWO, NL, 2010-2012)
Source. Van der Lee, Ellemers, PNAS 2015 Oct 6; 112(40), Published online 2015 Sep 21.
Access to research funding

14. q Some Research Funding Organizations have the capacity to
contribute to setting the research agenda, through identifying
new priorities, opening pilot calls and re-allocating resources
q This is a crucial opportunity for them to adopt a gender
sensitive lens and:
o Evaluating the benefits and potential risks associated with new
research areas from a gender perspective
o Fostering pluridisciplinary approaches so as to favour gender
balance in research teams, especially in teams
o Integrating gender knowledge across new research areas
o Establishing gender-sensitive standards for qualifying projects
o Monitor and evaluate projects from a gender perspective
(Re-)setting the research agenda

15. q Subscribing to Horizon Europe standards for project’s
assessment and selection:
Recasting projects’ evaluation

16. q Intermediate, progressive measures may include:
Recasting projects’ evaluation
o Adopting a gender-sensitive communication for calls
announcement and when providing information about them
o Review dissemination channels to reach out female applicants
o Favour pluridisciplinarity, also within a same field, to support
gender balance and diversity in research teams
o Enforcing bonuses for determined calls, in order to mitigate
gross gender imbalances
o Encouraging the integration of gender knowledge in teams and
in research designs

17. Challenging gender neutral notions
of merit and scientific excellence
Scully (2002) argued that as far as universities are concerned,
the faith in the meritocracy is at the heart of how
inequalities are being reproduced.
Since, university management and evaluation systems,
« have firmly anchored the norm of meritocracy within the
global academic system by emphasizing the objectivity and
measurement of excellence » (Van den Brink, 2011)

18. Challenging gender neutral notions
of merit and scientific excellence
Yet, evidences now abound, that the existing metrics of
merits and academic excellence are not immune to gender
and other bias and that if not challenged, it contributes to
reproduce (and legitimize) inequalities.
Whereas those systems claim to ensure equal treatment and
a fair assessment of individual merit, they remain gender and
diversity-blind, and thus, biased.

19. The SUPERA partners:

20. www.superaproject.eu
info@superaproject.eu
@superaproject #SuperaH2020
This project has received funding from the
European Union's Horizon 2020 research and
innovation programme under grant agreement
No. 787829.