TARGET will initiate institutional change in seven gender equality innovating institutions (GEIIs) in the Mediterranean basin – including research performing organisations (RPOs), research funding organisations (RFOs) and a network of universities. TARGET takes a reflexive approach which goes beyond the formal adoption of a gender equality plan by emphasising an iterative reflection of progress made as well as establishing a community of practice to effect institutional transformation. Actual change is the result of increased institutional willingness and capacity to identify, reflect on and address gender bias in a sustained way. Starting point and anchor of the process is a tailored Gender Equality Plan or Strategy (GEP/GES) in each GEII. TARGET will build the institutional capacity for a reflexive gender equality policy by: developing effective tools for each stage of the GEP/GES (audit, planning, implementation, monitoring, self-assessment) to be customised to the specific institution; supporting the development of competences to conduct a gender audit, to design, implement, monitor and self-assess a tailored GEP/GES; establishing a community of practice of relevant stakeholders within each GEII; initiating an organisational learning process within each GEII which combines self-assessment with GEP/GES evaluation. The TARGET countries have been characterised as relatively inactive in developing gender equality policies in R&I. To ensure that action taken has a multiplier effect, each GEII will undertake targeted dissemination activities to initiate a national/regional discourse on gender equality in R&I. Furthermore TARGET will develop new knowledge for institutions, practitioners and policymakers based on a comparative analysis of GEP implementation and sustainability to provide a basis for effective sharing of practice in both proactive and relatively inactive countries - taking into account differences in cultural, socio-economic and political settings.

EU-society faces four major challenges: the Anthropocene crisis, digitalisation, the pandemic and the Ukraine war and its consequences. All these challenges put at risk the model of liberal democracy, which, of course, has faced similarly internal threats (e.g. political polarisation, right wing extremism, mistrust in scientific research and conspirational beliefs) and external critique (questioning whether plural democracy is the best model to affront societal challenges). Education, and especially Education for Democracy (EfD), shall contribute to the defence and enhancement of democracy. This includes the values and principles encompassed within the UN’s 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. Goal 4.7, in particular, defines that education should promote sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity. To reinforce the resilience and sustainability of democracy, DEMOCRAT aims, through a participatory approach, to elaborate curricula for EfD based on a framework of responsible democratic competences (RDCs), to test them in open, local, innovative learning projects and to develop a toolbox to support the development of transformative EfD practices in the EU and beyond. DEMOCRAT’s ambitious research and innovation programme will provide insights into the points of comparison and contrast in EfD in the EU-member states, and will develop an innovative curriculum framework linking RDCs with digitalisation and sustainability. DEMOCRAT will test and analyse pedagogical practices and material considering its effectiveness for acquiring democratic competences and European identity. It will garner insights into the factors influencing the impact of EfD on public participation through the analysis of European data-sets, with a particular focus on the relation between socio-economic and educational inequalities and political and social participation.

The EGRUiEN project aims to answer the question of how best to ensure a just green and digital transition through social dialogue institutions and practices, to protect, represent and include precarious and non-standard workers, and to protect affected workers currently in primary labour market jobs from falling into precarity. Europe is undergoing a period of rapid, fundamental transition, which is affecting production, employment, job design and skill requirements in many industries, such as in the sector cases EGRUiEN investigates, automotive, energy, on-demand transportation/taxi, and care services. This presents contradictory goals: for economic and environmental reasons the transition must occur as quickly as possible, yet this fuels processes of creative destruction that undermines the efficacy of social dialogue. Social dialogue, however, has often been a tool to guide transitions. EGRUiEN will research how past social dialogues have managed similar transitions, and how current social dialogues are faring. Through participatory action research with actual and potential social partners, EGRUiEN will create a research basis to revitalize social dialogue to manage the green and digital transition. This will providing us with research-based tools for more inclusive and effective social dialogue. EGRUiEN has nine work-packages: Management (WP1), history (local longitudinal historical case studies, WP2), four sectoral studies (autos, energy, care, and on-demand transport, WP3-6), EU-level coordination (action research, WP7), New Social Dialogue (cross-country analysis, WP8), and Dissemination (WP9). The historical research provides a basis for the sectoral studies, which provide a basis for EU-level participatory action research (WP7) and cross-national analysis (WP8). Dissemination in is built into the research design through participatory research, but also WP9 enables widespread dissemination among practitioners, policy makers and academics.

INSPIRE aims to be Europe's sustainable centre of excellence, globally renowned for the quality of its research and analysis produced on inclusive gender equality in research and innovation. It brings together cutting-edge knowledge, ambitious policy approaches, and innovative practices to provide a gateway for scholars, equality experts, practitioners and trainers to connect and share resources, co-create new ones, and link strategically with public and private institutions to benefit the European Research Area. INSPIRE's ambitious research programme develops new, relevant indicators for inclusive GEP development, conducts a GEP monitoring survey throughout Europe whilst identifies key configurations of GEP success and failure. It will fill key knowledge gaps as a result of case studies on intersectional policies, whilst identifying promising practices in gendered regional innovation policy. INSPIRE strengthens the evidence base for informed policymaking and meaningfully engages decision-makers in policy and R&I funding for shaping the future. INSPIRE counts on 4 Knowledge & Support Hubs (KSHs) led by leading academics and renowned practitioners throughout Europe to develop cutting edge knowledge on sustaining change, widening participation, intersectionality and fostering innovation and change in the private sector. These KSHs will provide support to 12 communities of practice (involving more than 95 institutions) to facilitate GEP implementation and foster mutual support for the co-development of innovative practices, customised training, and pan-European data collection. INSPIRE will reduce disparities across Member States and strengthen the ERA through its distributed approach, spreading knowledge, know-how and new opportunities for more open and inclusive research and innovation across Europe.

ACT will enable better access, sharing, and improvement of gender equality knowledge by advancing Communities of Practice (CoP) as agents for implementing gender equality actions among RPOs and RFOs in ERA, including integration of the gender dimension into research content and process. Considerable advances have been made in the EU in the last decade in these areas, but the resulting experiences and practices are scattered widely, which prevents systematic and systemic action. ACT will improve this situation by starting up a network of 7 Communities of Practice and developing a Practice Toolkit, as well as creating an EU-wide change monitoring and benchmarking system, and an on-line Hub for knowledge and experience sharing. The design of these outputs will take into consideration inter- and intra-institutional diversity, as well as differences in national contexts. The Consortium includes 19 organisations (experienced and novice), and includes 50 experts, to ensure that results are sustainable and produce the desired impact. The expected impacts include: 1) ensuring that researchers, their organisations, and the projects they are involved in are better equipped to stop gender bias affecting quality of science knowledge making; 2) improving understanding of gender issues in science, and how to address them, including in science curriculum, and researcher training; 3) enhancing standards for assessment of institutional excellence through incorporation of gender equality as a criterion of success; and 4) more systematic and systemic adoption of best tools and practices for GEP implementation.