Gender Programme

The promotion of equal opportunities is an explicit commitment of all members and participating institutions involved in the TRR 127.

To strengthen the importance of gender equality, an Equal Opportunity Commissioner, Prof. Rabea Hinkel, is announced and female PIs are encouraged to embark on an academic career. In addition, short-term training measures specifically for female members of the Consortium at all stages of their career are planned in the anticipated third funding period.

Many researchers face the challenge of combining the uprising of their youngsters in an equitable parental partnership with the demands of their scientific work. Their needs and experiences will provide a standard for the efficacy and ensure the continuance of family-friendly measures throughout the duration of the TRR 127. The importance of these measures was displayed in the last two funding periods, where the budget for equality provided by the DFG was not enough to support all requests. Individual projects will be supported by the provision of additional funding for temporary substitutes for researchers, who will be on parental leave. Furthermore, the TRR 127 will support home-office work places whenever needed to work from home while caring for children.

Many researchers face the challenge of combining the rearing of young children in an equitable parental partnership with the demands of their scientific work. Their needs and experiences will provide a standard for the efficacy, and ensure the continuance of family-friendly measures throughout the duration of the TR 127.

Additional support measures for parents, which are provided for by the TR 127
In order to enable women to retain and enhance their scientific standing, while fulfilling their obligations to their families, we are applying for special funds to support the following activities:

1. Costs for extended childcare outside normal day-care or school hours, as required for particular experiments, such as weekend experiments or longer working days, or under particular circumstances, as required by the projects
2. Costs for “mobile babysitters” to allow TR 127 members with children to participate in our retreats, working parties, and scientific symposia
3. Support for extra child-care costs so that project leaders and group members can continue to attend important international scientific meetings
4. Establishment of home workstations, with computers and internet access, so that participants can continue to be active in the TR 127 during phases of their careers when they cannot work full-time due to childcare limitations (i.e. lack of day care for very young infants).