NEXT-GENDER is a COST Innovators Grant project born from the work of the VOICES Action CA20137, a COST Action funded by the European Union to increase the visibility of gender inequalities in research and innovation.

Building on the strong scientific and collaborative foundations of VOICES, NEXT-GENDER moves one step further. The project focuses on empowering the next generation of researchers and evaluators by strengthening their capacity to integrate sex, gender and intersectional perspectives as core drivers of research excellence.

While VOICES addressed gender inequalities at a broad, structural level, NEXT-GENDER operates as a targeted spinoff with a clear mission: to support researchers working at the frontiers of knowledge—particularly those preparing competitive ERC and MSCA proposals—to rethink how research questions, methods, data and impact narratives are shaped.

NEXT-GENDER is not about adding a “gender dimension” as an afterthought. Instead, it promotes a deeper reflection on how these perspectives can:

  • reveal blind spots in existing research designs,

  • challenge established assumptions,

  • refine methodologies and data interpretation, and

  • increase originality, robustness and explanatory power.

Co-creation, peer exchange and excellence

A central activity of NEXT-GENDER is the organisation of intensive, co-creative workshops and training schools. These bring together researchers from different disciplines and career stages to work hands-on on their own project ideas.

Through expert input, guided peer exchange and mentoring, participants critically reflect on their research plans and strengthen them in line with ERC and MSCA evaluation criteria, well before the review stage.

A commitment to inclusion and diversity

NEXT-GENDER is grounded in a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. The project welcomes researchers across disciplines, countries, career paths, genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations and (dis)abilities, recognising that diverse perspectives are essential to frontier research.

Looking ahead

With its own visual identity and dedicated project activities, NEXT-GENDER marks a new phase in the legacy of VOICES. By supporting researchers to integrate gender and intersectionality as engines of scientific innovation, the project contributes to more ambitious, competitive and socially robust European research.