During our COST action VOICES we recognized a gap in awareness and understanding of the importance of sex and gender as research variables among researchers and investigators. It has become evident that across Europe (and beyond), the academic environment does not provide sufficient education on sex-and gender-specific topics (SGT) in science and technology across fields. Given that integration of the gender dimension into research and innovation content is of paramount importance for society and growth and has thus become a requirement in research funding applications (especially in the Horizon Europe Programme), there is an urgent need to educate and train both researchers and proposal evaluators and in particular the younger generation on the importance of SGT and their integration into research. Inclusivity beyond SGT and intersectionality dimensions in research add to this urgent need, so that future research and innovation benefit everyone and especially the most vulnerable.

After conducting a successful training school during VOICES, we realised that the young research investigators (YRIs) who participated originally had almost no training in this area. Thanks to the training school, they discovered sex and gender methodologies and intersectionality and how to use them in their own research. The example of researchers who were in their field and had developed such methodologies was crucial in providing them with a practical and inspiring approach and helping them to open up new innovative research questions. Building on this experiment, we propose to replicate this experience, to create a toolkit based on it, to make all this material available online for a wider academic audience and to create communities of practice to facilitate the appropriation of SGT and inclusive methodologies.

The aim of this proposal is to develop a training programme, consisting of face-to-face workshops, CoPs and web-based toolkits, to 1) help the research community understand the importance of sex & gender as research variables and how they intersect with other variables, 2) provide guidance on how to incorporate them into research curricula, and 3) address the requirement for inclusive SGT and intersectionality dimensions in project proposals.

Frontier research depends on perspective! Over three intensive days, participants explore how sex, gender and intersectionality shape blind spots, data, methodologies and impact — and how integrating these perspectives can strengthen originality, robustness and explanatory power. The focus is not only on adding a “gender dimension” but on rethinking the project as a whole.

Through keynotes, hands-on workshops and peer mentoring, participants sharpen their research before reviewers do.

This intensive, co-creative workshop brings together researchers who are considering submitting a European Research Council proposal, or an MSCA proposal with a strong frontier research orientation, and who are interested in strengthening their projects through the integration of sex, gender and/or intersectional perspectives.

The workshop is aimed at researchers who understand research excellence as the ability to advance knowledge by asking sharper questions, challenging established assumptions and opening new analytical or methodological pathways. Rather than treating sex, gender and intersectionality as add-ons, the workshop focuses on how these perspectives can function as drivers of frontier research, opening new questions, refining methods, and improving reproducibility as well as explanatory power.

Through guided peer exchange, expert input, and hands-on proposal work, participants will critically reflect on their project ideas and explore how integrating these perspectives can strengthen their scientific ambition, methodological rigor, and impact narrative, in line with MSCA and ERC evaluation criteria.

The workshop is open to researchers who:

• are considering submitting an MSCA proposal (with a strong frontier research orientation) or an ERC proposal (Starting, Consolidator or Advanced Grant); and
• want to integrate sex, gender and/or intersectionality in a way that strengthens the scientific quality, originality, and ambition of their proposal.

All participants must be affiliated with a research organisation based in a COST member or COST near-neighbour country and must comply with COST eligibility requirements (see Annex-I-level-A-Country-and-Organisations-Table-Version-1.7.pdf).

We welcome applications from a diverse group of researchers across disciplines, career stages, countries, ethnicities, (dis)abilities, genders, and sexual orientations.

Please submit a form containing the following information:

1. Academic / Organisational Affiliation: name and address of organisation; current role and title; department, institute, research centre, or group.
2. Extended Abstract (max. 300 words): please provide a concise description of your research profile and proposal context related to your intended MSCA or ERC application.

You are not required to disclose confidential or highly innovative core ideas.

Please address the following points:

• a) Your main area(s) of expertise and current research focus.
• b) The thematic area/panel/domain in which you intend to apply (e.g. ERC panel, MSCA field).
• c) The type of grant and call you are targeting (e.g. MSCA PF, ERC Starting/Consolidator/Advanced Grant) and your intended submission timeline.
• d) The broader scientific context and relevance of your planned research agenda.
• e) Optional: Where you see potential for integrating sex, gender and/or intersectional perspectives at the level of research questions, design, data, or interpretation.

This information will be used to support tailored feedback, peer matching, and thematic clustering during the workshop.

3. Motivation for Participation (max. 200 words): why you wish to participate and how the workshop is expected to support and enhance your proposal (e.g., research design, excellence, originality/frontier character, and competitiveness).

4. Optional: any additional personal or contextual information you consider relevant for participation (voluntary).

Frontier research depends on perspective! Over three intensive days, participants explore how sex, gender and intersectionality shape blind spots, data, methodologies and impact — and how integrating these perspectives can strengthen originality, robustness and explanatory power. The focus is not only on adding a “gender dimension” but on rethinking the project as a whole.

Through keynotes, hands-on workshops and peer mentoring, participants sharpen their research before reviewers do.

NEXT-GENDER invites applications for a Virtual Mobility Grant to coordinate the design and inputs of the updated version of the NEXT-GENDER website, a key deliverable at the close of the grant period.

Activity dates: 23–30 October 2026 Maximum grant: €1,200 Format: Entirely online

About the mission

Working closely with NEXT-GENDER team members, the successful applicant will coordinate contributions to the website, ensuring that the project’s objectives, activities and resources are presented clearly and consistently.

The mission will involve:

· Reviewing existing website content and communication materials.

· Gathering and coordinating inputs from NEXT-GENDER team members.

· Coordinating the website’s design, structure and presentation of content.

· Preparing and editing accessible content for the project’s audiences.

· Incorporating team feedback and delivering consolidated website content.

Required expertise

Applicants should demonstrate experience in website content coordination, digital communication or science communication, together with an understanding of sex, gender and intersectionality in research.

They should be able to synthesise contributions from different team members, translate research content into accessible language, and complete the activities within the specified timeframe. Familiarity with NEXT-GENDER and its objectives will be an advantage.

Proposed evaluation criteria

· Relevant experience in website coordination and digital or science communication — 30%.

· Understanding of NEXT-GENDER’s objectives and research context — 25%.

· Ability to coordinate contributions and produce clear, accessible content — 20%.

· Familiarity with the project’s existing website and communication materials — 15%.

· Feasibility of completing the proposed work within the available period — 10%.

How to apply

Please submit your application through the e-COST website prior to October 21, 2026.

The NEXT-GENDER COST Innovators Grant invites applications for three sequential Virtual Mobility Grants supporting the discipline-specific refinement and validation of the existing Decision Trees Tool.

A first operational version of the tool has already been developed. The present activities do not concern development of a new tool from scratch. They concern intensive refinement of the existing Decision Tree through interaction with CIG disciplinary experts, incorporation of discipline-specific requirements, testing and validation.

The three Virtual Mobility activities are:

VM1 – Life Sciences and Health 5–11 October 2026 Maximum grant: €1,500

VM2 – Social Sciences and Humanities 12–18 October 2026 Maximum grant: €1,500

VM3 – Physical Sciences, Engineering and Technology 19–25 October 2026 Maximum grant: €1,500

Applicants may apply for one, two or all three Virtual Mobility Grants. Applicants wishing to undertake the complete sequence should indicate this clearly in their application.

For each VM, the grantee will work intensively with CIG members and relevant experts from the respective disciplinary domain to:

• critically review the existing Decision Tree;

• identify discipline-specific gaps, ambiguities and required modifications;

• conduct focused consultation with relevant disciplinary experts;

• refine decision logic, questions, explanations, examples and recommendations;

• test the revised Decision Tree using representative and challenging research scenarios;

• incorporate expert validation feedback; and

• deliver a validated discipline-specific Decision Tree/module integrated into, or ready for integration into, the existing tool.

Required expertise

Applicants should demonstrate:

• substantial expertise in sex, gender and intersectionality in research;

• strong understanding of the methodological principles underlying the NEXT-GENDER Decision Trees;

• ability to translate methodological and disciplinary requirements into decision logic and accessible researcher guidance;

• ability to synthesise input from experts from different disciplines;

• ability to work directly with the existing Decision Trees implementation or to provide implementation-ready modifications; and

• capacity to complete the activities within the specified short timeframes.

Familiarity with the existing NEXT-GENDER Decision Trees Tool and its current architecture will be considered an advantage because the activities involve intensive refinement of an already developed prototype rather than the creation of a new tool.

Evaluation

Each VM application will be evaluated separately according to:

1. Relevant expertise in sex/gender/intersectionality and research methodology – 30%

2. Understanding of the Decision Trees methodological framework – 25%

3. Ability to translate disciplinary input into Decision Tree logic and guidance – 20%

4. Familiarity with the existing tool and ability to work efficiently from the current prototype – 15%

5. Feasibility of completing the proposed work within the available period – 10%

The same applicant may be selected for all three VMs where they obtain the highest assessment for each activity. In such a case, the grants will remain separate and will be implemented sequentially without overlapping dates.

Call for applications: Dissemination Conference grants

The CIG Team approved the launch of two Conference Dissemination Grants, provided sufficient funding is available. The date of the conference must take place before the end of the GIG on October 31. This call is open until October 2 2026.