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Independent experts have been and are commonly invited to take part in the advisory structures within research and innovation programmes of the European
Union (EU). This practice has become quite common as their expertise and knowledge provide a highly valuable asset. In the context of an H2020 project, a group of external experts might join an Advisory Board (AB) panel to participate in the integration of project-related activities and provide external feedback on its progress and results. The involvement of external experts extends the project network and provides valuable input to the project partners. ATHENA’s AB is composed of eight members of national authorities representing the ATHENA countries and two representatives of scientific publishers.

The first year of the project has come to an end and it was characterised mainly by intense gender audits in research performing and funding organisations. Hours of data collection, both from quantitative and qualitative perspectives have brought fruitful support for mutual discussion, awarenessraising, and preparation of gender equality plans. Overall, six project partners prepared their gender equality report, a comprehensive view of the state of gender equality in the institution, but also within the certain national and cultural contexts. All the partners balance the Gender Equality Plans preparation and implementation between different social, institutional, cultural but also individual challenges.

Do you know that almost 60% of women graduate in the EU, but very few of them pursue a research career?
Women are still underrepresented in most scientific disciplines, which constitutes a waste of talents for the European Research Area.
We do not need only legal and administrative supporting mechanisms, we need to replace existing unconscious bias, with a more equal, inclusive and fair understanding and practices of gender roles. The ATHENA project is committed to strive towards gender equality, mitigating barriers to the recruitment, retention and career progression of female researchers and addressing gender imbalances in decision-making processes.