A gender-equal process

Since 2012, gender equality observations have been carried out regularly by the Swedish Research Council. The observations aim to scrutinise, from a gender equality perspective, the meetings where subject experts discuss applications for research grants received by the Research Council. These meetings are a central part of the Swedish Research Council’s process for allocating research grants; a process that aims to allocate funds for basic research of the highest quality.

Gender equality in the allocation of research grants requires a long-term approach and continuity. The Swedish Research Council has built up knowledge over a number of years about how the work towards increased gender equality in conjunction with research funding can be conducted. One tool used by the Swedish Research Council is gender equality observations.

This report is based on observations during meetings held by fifteen review panels in 2019. It provides good documentation for the Swedish Research Council’s continuing discussions and contributes to the work on further improving the quality of the Swedish Research Council’s processes.