Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI
Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI

Project

EFFORTI – Evaluation Framework for Promoting Gender Equality in Research and Innovation

The basis for EFFORTI is the observation that better integration of women into the research and innovation system as well as taking into account gender aspects in research and innovation projects has an impact on the methodology and the quality and relevance of results.

In order to verify this hypothesis the international consortium developed and tested an evaluation model which does not only draw on existing knowledge of “measuring“ research and innovation results in order to establish appropriate indicators and corresponding methods but also describes current discourses how the traditional evaluation approaches regarding the concept of responsible research and innovation can be extended.

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EFFORTI planned to develop an evaluation tool which allows ministries, enterprises and research institutions to be able to assess their measures to promote women and/or promote gender aspects in research projects efficiently and in a targeted manner. The crucial factor is that not only the focus is on attaining the target in a narrower sense but rather the contribution made by the measures to improve the research and innovation results.

The uniqueness of EFFORTI is not only to focus on traditional RTDI indicators such as patents and publications but to examine particularly the changes regarding the more responsible organisation of research and innovation results. Different national contexts and organisational framework conditions were also taken into account here.

In EFFORTI documents and literature analyses and particularly case studies have been applied. Interactive workshop formats were also an important element of the generation and validation of knowledge.

As a result of the project, an online tool was developed for the evaluation of measures for the advancement of women and gender aspects in research projects (www.efforti.eu). In addition to an “impact story database“, which shows impact logics including parameters and indicators for central gender equality measures, this toolbox also contains a function with which users can generate their own impact logics.

In addition, EFFORTI has contributed to the development of knowledge in the field of evaluation, innovation and gender research through its numerous publications. Last but not least, numerous stakeholder events have also contributed to community building.

Duration

6.2016-5.2019

Client

European Commission

Partners

  • University of Catalunya (ES)
  • Joanneum Research (AT)
  • Aarhus University (DK)
  • NaTe (HU)
  • Intrasoft (LUX)

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