The Centre for Social Studies (CES) of the University of Coimbra (UC) will integrate the consortium of a European project that proposes to implement Gender Equality Plans in two types of entities of the scientific system of Central and Southern Europe: universities/institutions of scientific research and funding bodies of the scientific system. 

With European funding of 2 million euros, awarded by H2020, the European Union's research and innovation framework programme, the SUPERA | Supporting the Promotion of Equality in Research and Academia consortium proposal, consisting of 8 European partners, was approved under the Call for Support to research organizations to implement gender equality plans in the area of «Science with and for Society».

Understanding gender inequalities in the academic world as a structural, transversal, complex and multidimensional phenomenon, the project aims, through the adoption of plans for equality, to contribute to the integration of the gender dimension in research and academia in 4 Central and Southern European countries (Portugal, Spain, Italy and Hungary). The methodology to be used refers to the co-creation and involvement of all stakeholders based on the transformation design.

The SUPERA consortium, led by the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), reflects the ambition of the project: universities/scientific research organisations with great impact potential, due to their multidisciplinarity and wide academic offer - in addition to CES/UC and UCM, also the Università Degly Studi di Cagliari (Italy) and the Central European University (Hungary) -, while the scientific system financing organisms - Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness and Regione Autonoma della Sardegna, integrate a strategy of maximization of project scope and institutionalization at the national level. The project also has two support partners - Yellow Window (Belgium) and the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques (France) - with facilitation, follow-up and continuous assessment of all activities.

With Mónica Lopes as the principal researcher, the CES/UC team at SUPERA (which will manage its own budget of €223,681) integrates not only researchers with experience in the conception of methodologies and tools for the integration of gender equality in policies, processes and practices, but also elements of the direction structure of the UC and CES.

This project stresses a strong commitment of CES and the UC to gender equality, providing an opportunity for knowledge and critical reflection on its governance, management and teaching/research structures and practices and for equating improvement and innovation actions in what they do and produce.