The European Commission has launched the third edition of the Gender Equality Champions Award. Introduced in 2022, this award aims to establish a community of “champions” to inspire other academic and research institutions to become advocates for gender equality. It also seeks to raise public awareness of the importance of addressing gender equality through institutional changes.
The award is open to universities, higher education institutions, and research organizations—public or private—based in EU Member States or Horizon Europe-associated countries. Applications are open until October 16, 4:00 PM (Lisbon Time).
The award for gender equality “champions” also aims to promote and complement the need for higher education institutions and research organizations to have a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) in place (this is, in turn, an eligibility criterion for Horizon Europe). It will be an incentive to move forward with more inclusive gender equality policies and plans in the context of the European Research Area (ERA) policy agenda and be a facilitator for the transformation of the universities’ agenda within the framework of the new ERA.
The award includes three categories, with four winners each receiving a monetary prize of €100,000:
- Sustainable Gender Equality Champions:For organizations with a significant and sustained track record of activities and high-level success in GEP implementation.
- Newcomer Gender Equality Champions : For organizations that have recently implemented a GEP and demonstrated the most progress and success in its implementation. (Two awards in this category)
- Inclusive Gender Equality Champions: For organizations that have developed the most inclusive GEP, incorporating at least two other social categories, such as ethnicity, social origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, and demonstrated tangible results through implementation.
Two prizes will be awarded in the second category and one prize for the first and third categories.
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