Gender Equality Enhancement Fund

Following the first round of funding under the Gender Equality Enhancement Fund 2023, the Second Call of the Gender Equality Enhancement Fund 2023 opened on the 11th of September. The closing date for applications was noon on the 31st of October 2023.

The First Call of the Gender Equality Enhancement Fund 2023 opened on the 10th of March and the closing date for applications was the 31st of May 2023.

Higher Education Institutions were invited to submit proposals to the HEA through the Application Form and in line with the requirements set out in the Call for Applications. Proposals were submitted to the HEA by email to EDI@hea.ie.

The outcome of the Second Call of the Gender Equality Enhancement Fund 2023 was announced on the 1st December 2023.

Details of the funded projects are included below.

 

To date, the HEA has awarded funding of €1,031,459 under the Gender Equality Enhancement Fund to advance gender equality initiatives in Irish higher education.

Awards were made across three areas:

  • research on or advancing gender equality initiatives in Ireland;
  • training programmes specifically addressing gender equality;
  • Athena SWAN capacity-building activities.

Projects were funded across several areas which include the below:

  • the promotion of female role models in the physical sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (pSTEM);
  • development and implementation of gender identity, expression and diversity training for staff in Irish HEIs;
  • establishment of networks to support female participation in computer science;
  • resources to support the academic advancement of mid-career female staff;
  • provision of gender equality-based leadership training to future leaders;
  • development of resources to assist departments in modelling gender-disaggregated data against national trends;
  • embedding equality, diversity and inclusion into the curriculum;
  • teaching and learning and teacher education;
  • an investigation of how gender stereotypes contribute to gender inequality;
  • support for the increased visibility and participation of women economists in public discourse;
  • research into the impact of menopause on the careers of women in Irish higher education;
  • addressing the Gender Pay Gap;
  • investigating the gender dimension in computing research;
  • engaging men in building gender equality;
  • exploration of the systemic factors at post-primary and higher education level that contribute to gender representation in Language Studies; analysis of the nature of change and transformation with respect to gender equality, inclusion, and diversity across higher education;
  • an open and free of charge Equality Charter Symposium;
  • development of a Leadership Development Programme for the Technological HE sector;
  • examine the efficacy of leadership development programmes;
  • a reverse mentoring programme;
  • national gender equality network for Chemistry;
  • training and learning network for early career female researchers and academics;
  • Athena Swan support and training.

*lead applicants are indicated in bold.