Periodic Reporting for period 1 - NEXUS (Twinning Research and Innovation Institutions to Design and Implement Inclusive GEPs)
Período documentado: 2023-09-01 hasta 2025-10-31
NEXUS brings together nine European universities/research organisations and one SME to develop inclusive gender equality plans. Through novel co-design and twinning approaches, less experienced partners are supported to fast-track inclusive equality in intersectional and intersectoral directions. Capacity-building is tailored to the needs of each institution, with a focus on mutual learning within the consortium. The partners are located in Ireland (Technological University Dublin, TU Dublin, co-ordinator), Italy (Smart Venice SRL, SV and Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Technologia, IIT), Cyprus (Frederick University, FredU), Bulgaria (Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski, UniSofia), France (Université du Mans, UM), Poland (Akademia Gorniczo-Hutnicza Im. Stanislawa Staszica w Krakowie, AGH/AGH-UST), Hungary (Bay Zoltan Alkalmazott Kutatási Közhasznú Nonprofit KFT, BZN), Serbia (Masinski Fakultet – Univerziteta U Nisu, UN) and Turkey (Koç University, KU). Over a 26-month period, NEXUS will enhance the research excellence of participating organisations and deliver institutional and cultural change that is context-sensitive, realistic and sustainable.
The NEXUS consortium advanced its mission to foster inclusive Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) across research and innovation institutions through a structured, evidence-based approach. Guided by five strategic objectives supported by measurable KPIs and a robust evaluation framework, the project delivered significant results. Key achievements include the identification and in-depth analysis of more than 10 innovative inclusivity practices, alongside the co-design and pilot implementation of 45 inclusive actions. A tailored capacity-building programme was developed and delivered, training 36 'multipliers' in each implementing institution and reaching over 305 staff members. The consortium actively engaged a wide range of stakeholders through nine co-creation Open Labs, fostered mutual learning via twinning schemes and study visits, and produced openly accessible resources, including the NEXUS Toolkit and an e-learning course. The project successfully institutionalised 32 pilot actions and designed 9 additional inclusive measures for continued implementation after the project's lifetime. These outcomes establish a strong foundation for sustainable, scalable, and replicable inclusive practices across the European Research Area.
The NEXUS project generated results that extend current approaches to institutional change for gender equality by embedding intersectionality and intersectoral perspectives into both methodology and practice. A shared framework for inclusive data collection and analysis enabled institutions to move beyond conventional gender metrics, producing richer evidence on structural inequalities and strengthening the integration of inclusiveness within GEPs. Through its emphasis on co-creation and cross-institutional learning, the project showed how co-creation mechanisms and structured peer exchange can accelerate innovation in organisational change. The resulting portfolio of pilot actions—many of which were consolidated into permanent institutional measures—illustrates the feasibility of translating inclusive principles into durable policy and operational practices.The development of open, reusable tools, including a comprehensive toolkit and digital learning resources, enhances the transferability and scalability of project outcomes across diverse research and innovation settings. A central outcome of the project is the Policy Brief and Recommendations, which integrate empirical evidence and stakeholder perspectives to identify structural barriers, outline actionable solutions, and provide targeted guidance for institutions aiming to strengthen sustainable and inclusive gender equality frameworks. Together, these results have the potential to deliver long-term scientific, societal, and policy impacts by advancing evidence-based approaches to inclusive equality, reinforcing stakeholder ownership of change processes, and informing future policy development at institutional and system levels.