This research synthesis aims to assess the progress made so far by highlighting empirically tested strategies for institutional change in research institutions and universities. It covers the key components of institutional change: engagement of decision-makers, organisational change, career progression and work-life balance as well as departmental climate. The institutional change approach also includes gender in research contents–which is treated in the Knowledge-Making research synthesis.
The Swedish Research Council’s gender equality observations aim to investigate the Council’s evaluation process from a gender equality perspective and to identify particular points where improvements can be made. In this report the authors shed light on the various elements of the process and follow up its development since the previous observation study. An overall conclusion from the observations is that when various informal structures or unstated assessment criteria influence the process, this has an adverse effect on gender equality. To minimise the impact of these, the authors propose a greater formalisation of the process.
