Go to content

Advise for the European Research Area

Publication | 01-10-2024

The Netherlands National Advisory Committee Diverse and Inclusive Higher Education and Research (DIHOO) advocate that diversity and inclusion are basic principles for the ERA and the EEA. We advise to connect policy agendas and initiatives aimed at realizing an inclusive higher education and research sector. So diversity and inclusion can be introduced as an integral part of all policy areas. The advice Intertwined strands: an integrated and inclusive approach to policy provides starting points for this.

Advise

The Netherlands National Advisory Committee Diverse and Inclusive Higher Education and Research has been established to promote diversity and inclusion to spearhead the partners’ efforts as outlined in the National Action Plan (2020 – 2025). We urge the EU to strengthen the principle of inclusive gender equality in research and innovation, by:

  1. Maintaining inclusive gender equality plans (see the recommendations in the Guide for Drawing up Gender Equality Plans) as a mandatory eligibility criterion in the next framework programme, as well as establishing legal compliance checks for the eligibility criterion.
  2. Providing sustained and substantial funding for the development, implementation, and evaluation of inclusive gender equality plans at the institutional and disciplinary level; as well as supporting member states in implementing and evaluating policies for inclusive gender equality in research and innovation through national action plans.
  3. Improving the monitoring of inclusive gender equality by developing and applying comparable indicators beyond representation, such as career progression, psychosocial safety, metrics to assess institutional progress towards structural change and the eradication of institutional racism and ableism. Only through coordinated (not separated) action on these deeply linked issues can ERA strengthen its principles as intended.

The Advisory Committee Diverse and Inclusive Higher Education provided this advice (feedback) for the new European Research Area on September 30, 2024.