Official Response to EU Green Paper

During the meeting of the General Assembly of ATGender, the European Association for Gender Research, Education and Documentation, held on 9th April 2011, the members were alerted by Kerstin Allnebratt of the potential neglect of Gender and Social Sciences in the new EU plans for research and innovation funding, known as “Green Paper on a Common Strategic Framework for future EU Research and Innovation Funding”.

The ATGender board members wrote an official response to that document taking the opportunity offered by the Commission to play an active part in a European public debate about the changes in the priorities areas of research and innovation.

Our official response emphasises the crucial importance of the Social Sciences and Humanities as key drivers and commentators in this process of innovation required by the EU. It highlights the need for the inclusion of the gendered aspects of the objectives of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, social and economic prosperity, and of environmental sustainability success.

It affirms that only restricted outcomes to the challenges and opportunities will be possible unless Social Sciences, Humanities and Gender research that target innovations are funded by the EU. These realms of knowledge must be included to attain a truly innovative EU research strategy.

See the official response HERE

ATGENDER invites its members to support this response or encourage other members or institutions to take the opportunity to write their own standpoint on the “Green Paper on a Common Strategic Framework for future EU Research and Innovation Funding, offered by the EC by 20th May 2011.