{"id":10168,"date":"2023-11-02T15:23:12","date_gmt":"2023-11-02T14:23:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leo-foundation.org.bluebird.pw\/en\/?page_id=10168"},"modified":"2023-11-17T11:43:52","modified_gmt":"2023-11-17T10:43:52","slug":"promoting-diversity-and-inclusion-case-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/leo-foundation.org.bluebird.pw\/en\/about-us\/how-we-work\/taking-responsibility\/promoting-diversity-and-inclusion-case-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Promoting diversity and inclusion – case"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Promoting diversity and inclusion<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

We want to promote gender balance and monitor the gender composition of our own organization and in the applicants and recipients of our grants. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Promoting diversity and inclusion is one of three key commitments to\u00a0taking responsibility<\/a>\u00a0in our sustainability approach, the others being exercising good governance and encouraging climate transition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have set targets for representation in our own organization and pledged to promote gender balance in the health science research environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the LEO Foundation\u2019s own organization, we strive to build diverse Board, management, and scientific review panel teams, with diversity constituting at least 40% of the underrepresented gender in each group. Currently, this is the case for our Board<\/a>, our management<\/a> and standing Scientific Evaluation Committee<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The gender gap for women in the science community is well established, and although predominantly determined by factors outside of the LEO Foundation\u2019s sphere of influence, it is important for us to do our part to support a balanced scientific community through our own activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working to include more women in science
<\/strong>In the three rounds of research grants awarded annually, we work to promote gender balance and equal access to applying for our grants, and we have recently worked specifically on the language used in the call for applications to weed out gender-biased wording and unconscious biases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We monitor and compare the gender distribution in applications received and among grant recipients and report this to the Board. We have seen an increase in the share of applications from and grants to women over the past three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the success rate for women, i.e., the share of applications that result in a grant, is still lower than for men. The total data population we work with is not large and for this reason, we do not want to overemphasize this point. Still, we continue to monitor and discuss this discrepancy and have an explicit focus on the challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is it key for the LEO Foundation that all applicants experience that everyone is treated equally when applying for a grant. Being awarded a grant, however, is the result of a competitive process based on scientific criteria, and factors such as gender and nationality are not taken into account when the excellence of a suggested project is being reviewed by experts. Following the Scientific Evaluation Committee’s expert assessments, the Foundation\u2019s Grant Committee<\/a> reviews the alignment of best-evaluated projects with the grant strategy and then proposes funding recommendations to the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parenthood is not an impediment<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fact that the building of scientific careers and parenthood often coincide will in some cases be challenging. For example, parental leave might lead to applicants reaching an age ceiling built into LEO Foundation awards and fellowships that specifically support younger scientists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it is standard practice for the research grant community to allow for a deduction of parental leave directly, the LEO Foundation has decided to increase this to a factor two. This will align our practice with that of other public and private Danish research foundations and contribute to our efforts to support inclusive research environments, and attractive working conditions and career paths in research for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Learn more about our approach to sustainability<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n