gender equality and inequality in danish research policy

DANISH AGENCY FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION | MINISTRY OF SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND HIGHER EDUCATION | BREDGADE 40 | 1260 COPENHAGEN K | TELEPHONE +45 3544 6200 | [email protected] | WWW.FIVU.DK

Gender equality and inequality in Danish Research Policy

Professor Peter Munk ChristiansenChair of The Danish Council for Independent Research


• Supports bottom up basic research + advisory role

• Covers all scientific areas

• Annual budget: 160 million Euro

• 3000 yearly applications, 550 grants

The Danish Council for Independent Research


Short on women in Danish research•Proportion of female professors in selected years:

1963: 1 %1999: 7 %2011: 16 %

•Progress is taking place – but at a slow rate, particularly in a comparative perspective

• Proportions of male and female PhD students are equal, but the proportion of women in Danish research decreases between each academic level


Women 1999 Women 2010 Men 2010Men 1999

Men and women in academic positions, Denmark, 1999 and 2010

Master Students

Master Degree

PhDStudent

PhDDegree

Assistant Professor

Associate Professor

Professor


Women applying to the Danish Council for Independent Research (DFF)

• Success rates for women and men 2009-2012

2009 2010 2011 2012 Total

Women Amount 9,5% 11,3% 9,9% 13,7% 11,0%

Number 16,1% 15,2% 13,6% 18,0% 15,7%

Men Amount 13,5% 13,8% 13,8% 14,2% 13,8%

Number 19,6% 19,1% 16,3% 18,4% 18,4%

• From 2009-2012 women applied for 31 % of the amount of funding from DFF and they received 28 % of the amount funded by DFF

• Corresponds to the 32 % share of women in Danish research


Gender equality policy in the Danish Council for Independent Research

•Aim of all DFF research grants:

To support the best and most original researchers and projects - regardless of gender

•Aim of the DFF Gender Equality Policy:

To bring all talents into the recruitment group for DFF grants by motivating more female talents to bring their career to the next level


Main targets for the gender equality policy in DFF

•The Gender distribution of DFF applicants should correspond to the actual distribution in the academic environments

•The rates of success with DFF grants should be more or less equal between men and women based on their share of applications

• In boards and committees of DFF the under-represented gender should account for at least 40 %


• Special program in 2014: Younger Women Devoted to a UNiversity Career

• 15 m. euro targeted toward younger female PIs

• Applicable in all scientific areas

• Scentific quality

• Two earlier programs: 1998 and 2008-09

• (Dependent on final financial bill)

Special program: YDUN


Why gender equality in research?

• Research is a key factor in international economic competition

• Talent and potential among female researchers are not fully utilised

Valuable human resources and education investments are not realised

• Research funding organizations cannot do the whole job, but they can make a difference

• We cannot afford not to promote better realisation of talent among all researchers!

gender equality and inequality in danish research policy

Documents