Monitoring & Evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation is regarded as a transversal topic of this Action since it overlaps all content related WGs. In Horizon 2020 in total 17 projects dealing specifically with structural change towards gender equity in research performing organizations have been funded. Gender equality plans (GEPs) with targeted measures were designed and implemented in research institutions across Europe. Monitoring and evaluation activities are essential for providing evidence on the effectiveness and assessing the impact of institutional intervention measures.

The first objective of WG6 is to bring together existing practical monitoring and evaluation knowledge accumulated in past and 19 ongoing gender equality projects, which was already started by some projects (e.g. as integral part of the EFFORTI toolbox, in the GenderTime Monitoring Handbook, or the PLOTINA Monitoring tool).

The second objective is to make this collected know-how available in an action-oriented way for relevant stakeholders, such as practitioners in the field of gender equality or similar, with the help of knowledge co-production activities. A special focus, and a third crosscutting WG objective, lies on the definition of adequate impact indicators to identify successful initiatives, which support YRIs at different levels of their career progression.

Outputs

  • Networking and collaboration among the members.
  • Regular online meetings with the group members to discuss and plan activities. 
  • Research activities : the Narrative research study. By conducting the narrative research study, our comparative network analysis examined the patterns of inequalities and gendered experiences among researchers, with particular attention to the strong representation of women and individuals from minority backgrounds. Using a qualitative autobiographical comparative inquiry informed by an intersectional perspective within the European context, we explored how these experiences were across institutional settings and countries.

 

  • International Dissemination Event: Bridging Gender Voices Across the Continents, 24-25 June 2024 at Istanbul Aydın University, Türkiye (with WG4)
  • International Meeting and Workshops: Shaping Gender Equality in Science and Research, 20-21 January 2025 at Izmir University of Economics, Türkiye: (i.e. Co-Creation Workshops for ECRs and Case Studies: Case study- Implementing Gender Equality/Swan UK & GEP of Izmir University of Economics) VOICES in Action (with WG5))
  • STSMs (for example, Dr Rakibe Külcür at Malta University, Malta in October 2023 and University College London, UK in October 2024; Dr. Gilda Hoxa at Malta University, Malta in October 2023)
  • Publications and blogs

Publications 

Book

Showunmi, V., Hancock, S..& Külcür, R. (eds.) Intersectionality as a methodological and epistemological approach to research, practice, and conceptual analysis, Springer (in progress, to be published in 2026)  (COST Action to be mentioned) (peer review)

Book chapters

  • Showunmi, V. & Külcür, R. Turning Intersectionality on Its Head: The Hidden Voices of Early Career Researchers in Europe, in Social Movements in Previous and Contemporary Societies, IntechOpen (in press) (COST Action mentioned)  (peer reviewed)
  • Külcür, R. Lived Experiences: Toward Intersectional Environmentalism in NGOs, in Intersectionality as a methodological and epistemological approach to research, practice, and conceptual analysis, Showunmi, V., Hancock, S..& Külcür, R. (eds.), Springer (in progress, to be published in 2026)  (COST Action to be mentioned) (peer review)

Journal papers:

–     Külcür, R., Bonello, K., Baysan, S., Brown, M. Showunmi, V. & Novelskaite, A. 2025 Shaping Gender-Power Dynamics in Academia: The Role of Organisational Practices and Policies (Working Paper Series, University of Vienna) (in press) (COST Action mentioned) (peer reviewed)

–    Bonello Rutter Giappone, K. (2025). Precarious work in Malta’s public higher education sector in L. A. Fiorini, (ed.), Centre for Labour Studies: Biennial Report: 2023-2024 (Malta: University of Malta), pp. 30-42. (COST Action mentioned) (peer reviewed, open access, scopus-indexed)

–     Külcür, R., Bonello, K., Brown, M., Baysan, S., Demir, T., Patón-Romero, J. D., Grinevica, L. & Showunmi, V. (2024). Voices in academia and beyond: An exploration of European researchers’ narratives using a decolonising lens. Postcolonial Directions in Education, 13(1), 1-54. (COST Action mentioned) (peer reviewed, open access, scopus-indexed)

–    Leišytė, L., Načinović Braje, I., Almog, S., Baysan, S., Carvalho, T., Daunoraitė, D., Diogo, S., Papaioannou, P., Farmaki, A., Feldman, S., Külcür, R., Matijošytė, I., Pralgauskaitė, S., Rangelova, V., & Šatkovskienė, D. (2025). Early Career Researchers as Stakeholders in University Decision‐Making in Europe: Comparative Perspectives. Social Inclusion, 14, Article 9683. https://doi.org/10.17645/si.9683 (COST Action mentioned) (peer reviewed)

–   Brown, M., Hoxha, G., & Mortier, A. (Guest Editors) (2024). Postcolonial Directions in Education: Special Issue: (In)visibility of ‘young’ researchers in Europe: a postcolonial perspective 13(1).  (COST Action mentioned) (open access, scopus-indexed, peer reviewed)

Conference papers:

–     Külcür, R. 2025  Narrative Research Study within VOICES WG6- Monitoring & Evaluation (2023-2024) (Plenary session, Final Conference Gender VOICES at the Ecole Normale Supérieure ENS-PSL, Paris, France on 10 July 2025)

– Baysan, S. and Külcür, R. 2025 Leadership and Decision-Making Roles of Early Career Researchers: Insights from a Western Anatolian University (Final Conference Gender VOICES at the Ecole Normale Supérieure ENS-PSL, Paris, France on 10-11 July 2025)

– Külcür, R., Bonello, K., Baysan, S., Brown, M. Showunmi, V. & Novelskaite, A. 2025 Shaping Gender-Power Dynamics in Academia: The Role of Organisational Practices and Policies (Gender and Diversity Conference University of Vienna – 20 March 2025)

–    Novelskaite, A.; Külcür, R. Bonello, K., Baysan, S., Brown, M. Showunmi, V. 2025 Shaping Gender-Power Dynamics in Academia, March 2025 (Voices Symposium for Early Career Researchers – Vilnius, 3-4 March 2025)

–    Külcür, R. Brown, M. Showunmi, V., Satkovskiene, D., Novelskaite, A. & Bonello, K.  2023 VOICES in academia and beyond: A narrative-based demystification of the ‘public-private divide’ (Conference at Malta University, 14-15 Feb. 2023)

–    Külcür, R., Güneri, F & Gül, P. 2023 Analysis of gender equity from the perspective of academic culture (Conference at Haifa University, Israel – January 2023) (Conference Grant received from the EU COST Action)