Gender equality is a core principle of Horizon Europe, shaping not only the content of research projects but also the composition of research teams. As we work towards a more inclusive and equitable research landscape that reflects diverse societal needs, understanding the gender criteria embedded within Horizon Europe proposals is essential.
This article explores the significance of integrating a gender dimension throughout the research process, particularly in Part B of Horizon Europe’s Programme-Specific Application Forms. From methodology and objectives to team composition and evaluation, a gender-responsive approach strengthens the relevance, quality, and impact of projects. By prioritising gender considerations, applicants can enhance innovation, foster equity, and contribute to research that is truly representative of all identities. Join us as we outline the key elements needed to craft effective, gender-inclusive proposals within Horizon Europe.
Part B: Gender as part of your research design
Gender equality in Horizon Europe encompasses multiple dimensions, influencing both the content of research and innovation projects and the composition of research teams. It addresses gender gaps in user needs for products and services across all genders, including non-binary and gender-diverse individuals, while promoting equitable gender representation within project teams. Specifically, in Part B of a Horizon Europe proposal, the gender dimension is evaluated as part of the project’s scientific excellence and is typically addressed in Section 1.2 (Methodology).
This section examines whether a gender dimension is relevant to the research and how it integrates into the methodology, data collection, analysis, and expected outcomes. If gendered aspects are relevant, applicants must clearly explain how gender considerations will be addressed at every stage of the project. If not, they must provide a justification.It is also important to underline that a gender dimension is something to talk about and include in all sections of the proposal, not only 1.2. This is the key to addressing the gender dimension successfully. Gender should not be just a 10 sentence paragraph in 45 pages. It should be incorporated throughout the whole project and throughout the application.
In addition, a key objective is to enhance gender balance across the programme, aiming for gender balance within research teams as a ranking criterion for proposals with equal scores.
In addition to gender-related considerations, proposals are encouraged to apply an intersectional lens, recognising that factors such as disability, ethnicity, orientation, age, and socioeconomic status among other characteristics of difference are integral to shaping experiences and outcomes. This strengthens the project’s inclusivity and impact. Additionally, applicants should outline concrete methodologies for integrating gender, such as using gender-disaggregated data, measuring gender-related impacts, or ensuring diverse participant representation. Failure to properly address the gender dimension when relevant can lead to lower evaluation scores, as Horizon Europe prioritises research that is inclusive and free from bias.
Here’s a breakdown of key considerations for preparing your project proposals to advance gender equality meaningfully:
Checklist for Gender-Responsive Proposal Preparation
Step 1: Build Gender Insights into Research Design
1.1. Evaluate Gender Analysis Requirements
Ensure your proposal includes a thorough analysis of gender differences in needs and challenges.
HOW TO ADDRESS IN MY PROPOSAL?
Example: a project proposal on AI tools for hate speech detection should address gender bias in algorithmic design. Research shows that AI trained on biased data often misclassifies or overlooks hate speech targeting women, people of colour and gender-diverse individuals. By analysing gender-specific hate speech patterns and using diverse datasets, a project like this could improve detection accuracy and promote inclusivity. This approach strengthens your proposal’s impact, aligns with Horizon Europe priorities and enhances its evaluation. It also supports broader efforts to combat hate speech and systemic digital inequalities.
1.2 Data Requirements
Use both qualitative and quantitative data to highlight gender-related trends. Incorporate statistics to show numerical differences across genders and interviews to provide clear, contextual insights.
HOW TO ADDRESS IN MY PROPOSAL?
Example: A hypothetical Horizon Europe proposal could focus on addressing gender gaps in mental health research and treatment. Research shows that women are diagnosed with depression nearly twice as often as men, who frequently underreport symptoms due to societal stigma and differing expressions of distress. Meanwhile, while data on non-binary and gender-diverse individuals is often lacking, highlighting the need for more inclusive research, studies do show that genderqueer and non-binary individuals frequently report a lack of provider understanding. This leads to frustration and a reliance on self-education for the management of health concerns.
To ensure healthcare research meets the needs of transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse individuals, proposals could investigate gaps in provider knowledge and explore tailored care practices. This approach would help address systemic gender disparities and promote more equitable mental health outcomes.
Incorporating both quantitative data—such as diagnosis rates and prescription statistics—and qualitative insights from interviews, provides a comprehensive analysis of gender disparities in mental health. This evidence base supports the design of clinical trials and interventions that consider gender-specific and intersectional differences, ensuring more equitable treatment. Aligned with Horizon Europe’s commitment to gender equality, this approach goes beyond statistics to capture lived experiences. Personal narratives and focus group discussions offer invaluable insights, particularly for transgender and non-binary individuals, whose healthcare challenges are often overlooked. From struggling to find knowledgeable providers to feeling unheard in medical settings, these accounts highlight systemic gaps in healthcare provision, promoting more inclusive, user-centred healthcare interventions and diverse needs. Recognising how these challenges intersect with race, disability, and socioeconomic status further strengthens equity-driven research.
Depression Diagnosis Probability: The chart shows that women have a 63% higher probability of being diagnosed with depression compared to men.
Antidepressant Use Probability: The second chart illustrates that women have a 79% higher probability of using antidepressants compared to men.
1.3 Alignment with Gender Equality Goals:
Demonstrate how your project supports national or regional gender equality initiatives by linking it to existing policies and programmes.
HOW TO ADDRESS IN MY PROPOSAL?
Example: Energy poverty disproportionately affects women, especially in areas such as Western Macedonia and Peloponnese in Greece, where they experience higher unemployment, increased poverty risk and social exclusion, and severe material deprivation compared to men. Again, data on non-binary and gender-diverse individuals is lacking, reinforcing a critical need for inclusive research.
A proposal addressing this issue could integrate gender-responsive measures to tackle the unique challenges faced by women, non-binary, and gender-diverse people in accessing energy, aligning with the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020–2025, United Nations SDGs 5, 7 & 8, and the Equal by 30 Initiative to advance inclusive and eqabuitle energy solutions.
A gender-responsive approach to renewable energy training can help bridge employment gaps and address systemic inequalities by providing tailored programmes in areas like solar panel installation and maintenance. This equips women, non-binary, and gender-diverse individuals with essential technical skills, enhancing their employability in the green economy (SDG 8) while promoting inclusion and equity.
Integrating user-centred design is also vital; focus groups can identify and address gendered shortcomings in solar panel maintenance tools, which are often designed without considering diverse body strengths and ergonomic needs. Redesigning these tools through an inclusive, participatory process ensures accessibility and usability for all, directly advancing SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). Prioritising gender-inclusive training and equitable technology design can remove barriers to participation, create safer work environments, and drive systemic change in the energy sector, ensuring fair access to opportunities in the green economy.
Step 2: Objectives and Indicators (goals and measurements)
2.1. Objective Alignment
Clearly demonstrate how the project’s objectives equally benefit all genders.
HOW TO ADDRESS IN MY PROPOSAL?
Example: A well-known example of a gender gap is in STEM education and career opportunities. Women represent only 28% of the global STEM workforce despite representing roughly half the population. This disparity can be attributed to systemic biases, lack of mentorship opportunities, and societal stereotypes discouraging various gender identities from pursuing STEM fields. To address this gap, a project aimed at increasing STEM participation could establish objectives such as providing equal access to mentorship programs, tailored support systems, and outreach initiatives targeting underrepresented groups, including women, transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse individuals, as well as men, particularly those from marginalized communities. By fostering an inclusive environment that acknowledges the unique challenges faced by all genders, the project can enhance participation and create a more equitable landscape in STEM.
2.2. Disaggregation Requirement: track the result indicators of a project separately for each gender. This is done to accurately monitor the project’s impact on different groups and ensure that it benefits everyone equally.
HOW TO ADDRESS IN MY PROPOSAL?
Example: A study on cardiovascular disease outcomes revealed gender disparities, with men receiving timelier interventions for heart attacks than women, who often faced delays.
Disaggregating data highlights these gaps, enabling tailored strategies to improve health outcomes for all genders and foster inclusive innovations in treatment proposals.
Here is an example that combines objectives and indicators: In agriculture, women make up 43% of the global labour force but face significant barriers to resources like land, credit, and training, with limited data on gender-diverse individuals. Project designs could set clear gender-disaggregated objectives and indicators that address the specific needs of women and gender-diverse individuals, such as a 30% increase in their participation in agricultural training over three years, a 25% improvement in access to land, credit, and agricultural inputs, and the establishment of at least five inclusive extension services tailored to their needs within two years. Ensuring that all resource distribution policies are gender-sensitive within three years would address systemic barriers, empower marginalised groups, and enhance agricultural productivity, fostering a more equitable and inclusive sector.
To measure progress, the project could track key indicators such as the percentage increase in participation by women and gender-diverse individuals in agricultural training, changes in access to land and credit, utilisation rates of inclusive extension services, the implementation of gender-sensitive policies, and improvements in productivity among women and gender-diverse farmers. These indicators would provide a comprehensive assessment of the project’s impact on meeting the needs of underrepresented groups and narrowing the gender gap in agriculture.
Step 3. Resource Utilisation: Promoting Gender Equality
3.1. Ensuring Equitable Access
Outline how project resources will support equal access for all genders.
HOW TO ADDRESS IN MY PROPOSAL?
Example: To promote gender equality in the distribution of project resources in transport planning, for example, research has highlighted issues like the underfunding of bus stop lighting, which disproportionately impacts the safety of women and LGBTQ+ individuals, . Allocating a budget to analyse mobility patterns disaggregated by gender and other intersectional factors during the planning stages allows urban planning in European capital cities to identify specific vulnerabilities and prioritise targeted solutions to ensure equitable access. These solutions can include increased transport access, onboard surveillance, and improved lighting across transport systems, ensuring the development of inclusive and safe transport infrastructure aligned with Horizon Europe’s gender-responsive research goals.
3.2. Equal Access Emphasis
Proposals should highlight strategies to enhance equal access to financial resources, services, and investments among target groups.
HOW TO ADDRESS IN MY PROPOSAL?
Example: Substantial evidence highlights gender differences in hearing loss patterns, revealing that individuals demonstrate varying patterns in hearing aid usage and benefits. Research shows that women are more likely to use hearing aids daily and for longer durations than men, who often cite limited benefits as a reason for infrequent use. These findings suggest that current hearing aid designs may not adequately address gender-specific needs, leading to disparities in usage and satisfaction.
Investment in inclusive research and development (R&D) funding for hearing aid technology can drive innovations that address gender-specific and diverse user needs, ensuring equitable access to assistive hearing solutions. A Horizon Europe-funded project could focus on advancing gender-responsive hearing aid design, integrating insights from audiology, bioengineering, and user-centered design to develop adaptive and personalised solutions.By bringing together industry partners, researchers, and healthcare providers, the project would foster interdisciplinary collaboration to refine hearing aid technology, ensuring it meets the needs of different user demographics. Incorporating real-world testing, clinical validation, and participatory research with diverse user groups—including underrepresented populations—would strengthen the evidence base for inclusive design. It is crucial to embed gender concerns into the costing of research and innovation projects, ensuring that funding allocations reflect the needs of marginalised groups from the outset. Addressing equal access to financial resources, services, and investments in the planning stages of R&D for assistive technologies is essential to overcoming barriers and promoting equity. By integrating these principles, the project would align with EU health and inclusion strategies, contributing to more equitable access to hearing technologies while setting new standards for gender-sensitive medical device development.
Step 4: Team Composition
4.1. Ensuring Gender Balance in Research Teams
In Horizon Europe-funded projects, it is crucial to ensure gender balance and equal opportunities within research teams. Applicants are encouraged to create a consortium that reflects gender diversity at all levels, particularly in decision-making roles. This commitment to gender balance is not only a matter of fairness but also serves as a key evaluation criterion, as proposals with similar scores will be prioritised based on the gender composition of their teams. To promote an inclusive environment, it is essential to establish working conditions that accommodate the needs of all participants, including flexible scheduling and task allocation, to facilitate a satisfactory work-life balance. Additionally, implementing mechanisms to monitor and evaluate gender equality, such as collecting workforce statistics, can help track progress and ensure that gender considerations are integrated into all aspects of the project.
HOW TO ADDRESS IN MY PROPOSAL?
Example: According to She Figures 2024, women remain significantly underrepresented in the construction sector. Women account for only 10% of all doctoral graduates in Engineering, Manufacturing, and Construction, compared to 22% of men. This highlights a persistent gender gap in these fields.
A proposal focusing on sustainable construction and demolition waste (CDW) management could actively promote gender balance within the research team by ensuring at least 40% female participation, particularly in decision-making roles such as project coordination and work package leadership. By involving women in key areas—such as developing strategies to reintroduce CDW-based materials, participating in demonstration case studies, implementing digital construction technologies (such as BIM), and advancing sustainable material innovation—the project can incorporate diverse perspectives and drive more inclusive, impactful solutions for the industry.
Additionally, to tackle the pipeline issue of low participation of women in doctoral studies within the construction industry, the proposal could integrate a mentorship component within the consortium. This approach would not only provide mentorship and career inspiration but also encourage more women to pursue long-term careers in the industry while contributing meaningfully to the project.
Step 5: Monitoring and Evaluation
5.1. Integration of Gender Objectives:
Describe how you will monitor gender equality objectives and outcomes.
To monitor gender equality in EU Horizon projects, it’s important to use gender-disaggregated data, clear indicators, gender audits, and stakeholder feedback, while integrating gender into the project’s evaluation framework and developing a gender action plan. Tools like the Gender Equality Audit and Monitoring (GEAM), from the ACT on Gender project, offer a comprehensive framework for assessing gender equality in research and higher education institutions.
5.2. Corrective Measures
Outline procedures for addressing gaps revealed during monitoring.
HOW TO ADDRESS IN MY PROPOSAL?
Example: In a Horizon Europe-funded project aimed at developing innovative assistive technology for individuals with hearing loss, the project team conducts a mid-project monitoring review of gender-disaggregated data and discovers that women are underrepresented in key technical roles, comprising only 30% of these positions despite making up 50% of the overall team. Additionally, women team members express discomfort in voicing their opinions during meetings. In response, the team formulates a gender-sensitive action plan that includes actively recruiting more women and gender minorities for technical roles through partnerships with organisations dedicated to supporting women and underrepresented groups in STEM. They also implement gender sensitivity training to raise awareness of unconscious bias and introduce flexible work arrangements to promote a better work-life balance. After six months, a follow-up review indicates an increase in women and gender minority representation in technical roles to 45%, along with enhanced team dynamics. This corrective procedure not only improves gender balance but also fosters better collaboration and innovation within the project, resulting in a hearing aid design that effectively addresses the diverse needs of users, particularly those from underrepresented groups.
Conclusion
In conclusion, effectively integrating gender criteria in Horizon Europe proposals is essential for fostering innovation that is inclusive and equitable. By embedding gender considerations throughout the project—from research design to methodology, objectives and team composition—applicants can enhance the relevance and impact of their work while improving their evaluation scores in ranking criteria. This approach not only promotes gender balance within research teams but also ensures that the diverse needs of all users, including non-binary and gender-diverse individuals, are addressed. As gender equality remains a core objective of Horizon Europe, proposals that actively engage with these criteria will not only meet evaluation standards but also contribute to meaningful change in research and innovation practices. By prioritizing gender-sensitive methodologies and intersectional perspectives, researchers can drive progress towards a more inclusive and equitable future for all.
Stay tuned for the next installment in our deep dive into gender, user needs, and EU funding! Ready to elevate your proposal writing? Contact us today to lead your proposal to success!
About the authors
Anna Palaiologk, the founder of Future Needs, is a Research & Innovation Consultant with 18 years of experience in proposal writing and project management. She has worked as a project Coordinator and Work Package leader in 30+ EU projects and has authored 50+ successful proposals. Her research background is in economics, business development and policy-making.
Lee Ingleton is an Innovation Project Manager and Gender Dimension Consultant at Future Needs, driving high-impact research. Lee is currently involved as Project Manager in the Erasmus+ EqPay4ALL project and Horizon Europe UrbanAIR project.
