The GenTIC research group at the IN3 at the Open University of Catalunya invites researchers holding a PhD to express their interest in applying to a Skłodowska–Curie Postdoctoral (PF) Fellowship. Our group is interested in supporting applications on gender in/equalities in research and innovation in Europe. Our group has a long trajectory of coordinating and participating in European gender equality projects (total of 7 across FP7, H2020, Horizon Europe see https://www.gender-ict.net/projects for details). During the 2023 call we have supported and won two successful MSCA applications. Currently we are coordinating the Horizon Europe INSPIRE project (https://inspirequality.eu/) on building the European Centre of Excellence on Inclusive Equality in Research and Innovation. The project will run until September 2026 and includes partners in 11 European countries and Latin America. Candidates are invited to propose research projects related to one of the three topics mentioned below, or any other proposal related to gender equality in a broad sense.

Intersectional data

European policy on gender and science is moving towards an intersectional perspective. This includes an orientation towards supporting intersectional Gender Equality Plans as well as considering how intersectional issues affect research content and methods. While intersectionality has been developed on a conceptual level, there is currently a need to better understand how intersectionality can be operationalised and addressed within the concrete equality efforts of organisations. This includes a better understanding of the audit, design, implementation and impact assessment of intersectional interventions. At GenTIC we are especially interested in the development of new monitoring indicators that capture the outcomes and impacts of interventions that tackle inequalities from an intersectional perspective (even interventions that target gender only can have an intersectional impact). This might include the use of quantitative and qualitative methods, or less conventional approaches such as visualisation methods or Qualitative Comparative Analysis. 

Decolonization of European gender and science knowledge/policy

Equality, diversity and inclusion strategies and interventions are becoming increasingly popular in research and innovation organisations in recognition of the benefits of a more diverse research and innovation workforce.  Despite these efforts, criticisms of these kinds of interventions have been forthcoming as merely ‘tinkering’ or ‘tokenism’ and not dealing with, or even acknowledging the systemic nature of racism, ableism, classism, or the patriarchy embedded in research organisations. How these types of interventions affect and impact the knowledge base –remains a great unknown.    Taking a ‘decolonial’ approach to knowledge creation, however, seems a promising strategy to enable a more accurate assessment of inequalities in research organisations whilst rewiring knowledge production in order to value indigenous knowledge. At GenTIC we are especially interested in projects that use innovative participatory methods for knowledge production. We welcome innovative proposals on the assessment, circulation and dissemination of scientific knowledge across (and going beyond) Europe with regards to intersectional gender equality. 

Women and the design of digital tools and services

Women are under-represented when it comes to the design and development of technological tools and services, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems. The detection and mitigation of bias in these fast-evolving technological systems is an ongoing challenge. It is important that technological products and services do not reproduce biases and gender stereotypes and that they contribute to empowering the personal and digital skills of women. At GenTIC we are interested in multidisciplinary research projects that develop new methods for bias detecting and mitigation in specific technologies but also broader technological services, taking into account an intersectional perspective. This line of research is currently explored in the HORIGESTEM project which aims to broaden secondary students’ perspectives about STEM through the use of female role models. This project is funded by the Spanish Research Council and will run until September 2025.

Expressions of Interest

Send one PDF file to gentic@uoc.edu  (subject: MSCA-2023), by 1st of July 2024, including: 

1.- A short CV (max 2 pages), with your ORCID, Scopus or ResearcherID profile.

2.- A Letter of Interest including a summary of your project idea (max. 2 pages).