Is gender research the exclusive domain of the social sciences? Absolutely not! Male and female organisms may, for example, react differently to certain chemicals, such as medicines, or be exposed to varying degrees of risk from road traffic accidents. The ‘I Include Gender in Research' competition is open to researchers - both men and women - who, regardless of their field or scientific discipline, take gender into account in their research. For the fifth edition of the competition, Master’s theses, doctoral theses and habilitation research achievements may be submitted. The call for entries is open until 30 November this year.

The competition for the Rector’s Special Award “I Include Gender in Research” was established as part of the project MINDtheGEPs - Modifying Institutions by Developing Gender Equality Plans (EU Horizon 2020), led by prof. Ewa Łojkowska, which aimed to create a Gender Equality Plan for the University of Gdańsk and to implement the principles of gender equality policy at our university. The first two editions of the award (2022, 2023) were funded by the MINDtheGEPs project, and from 2024 onwards the award has been funded by the Rector of the University of Gdańsk.

The aim of the competition, as emphasised by prof. Ewa Łojkowska from the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG and MUG, is to draw researchers’ attention to the gender aspect of research subjects. Medicine, pharmacology and the automotive industry are just a few examples of research areas in which the gender aspect of research subjects has long been neglected.

‘As recently as a dozen or so years ago, in many studies on new drugs, only male animals were used during the testing phase on animal models - mainly because females experience cyclical changes in hormone levels,’ says prof. Grzegorz Węgrzyn, Head of the Department of Molecular Biology at the Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, and Chair of the Selection Committee. ‘However, it later transpired that, for example, cardiac drugs act differently in women than in men. Male animal models are often easier to work with in experiments, precisely because of their greater ‘stability’ and lower hormonal fluctuations. But science cannot be easy; it must reflect reality, mustn’t it?’

Rules and deadlines

The ‘I Include Gender in Research’ competition is open to individuals who, in the current year or the year preceding the competition, have successfully defended Master’s theses or doctoral theses at the University of Gdańsk, or have been awarded a postdoctoral degree (dr hab.). In accordance with the competition rules, the works must take into account the gender aspect of the research subject.

Currently, prizes are awarded in three categories: for the best Master’s theses, doctoral theses and habilitation achievements, separately for works in the social sciences and humanities and in the exact and natural sciences.

The authors of the best theses will receive certificates and cash prizes:

• 2,400 zł gross for the highest-rated Master’s thesis,
• 3,600 zł gross for the highest-rated doctoral thesis,
• 5,000 zł gross for the highest-rated habilitation work.

The winners of the competition are invited to give a presentation on their work during the ceremony announcing the results and awarding the certificates. The awards gala is held in conjunction with the University of Gdańsk’s Equality Day, to convey to as many researchers as possible just how important this research is.

How to apply?

To take part in the competition, please send your application to the secretary of the Committee for the Rector’s Special Award ‘I Include Gender in Research’ at marta.dziedzic@ug.edu.pl. The application should include:

• a Master’s thesis, doctoral thesis or habilitation achievement in PDF format
• a completed and signed application form (Appendix 1)
• a consent clause signed by the author and - in the case of Master’s and doctoral theses - by the supervisor (Appendices 2 and 3) and a signed information clause (Appendix 4)

https://ug.edu.pl/o-uczelni/uniwersytet-odpowiedzialny-spolecznie/senac…

Why is it important to include gender in research?

‘Including gender in research is one of the innovations in science introduced into the Horizon 2020 programme to raise researchers’ awareness of this important issue,’ says prof. Ewa Łojkowska. ‘Failing to take gender into account in research can have serious consequences. One example is pharmaceuticals, which are primarily tested on male animals (and in clinical trials are most often tested only on men). However, drugs tested exclusively on male subjects may be rejected at an early stage due to their low efficacy in males - yet it is by no means impossible that they would be effective in female animals or in women. The opposite may also be true: drugs that are effective in men may actually be harmful to women. Thalidomide, which was a widely used drug, proved to be extremely dangerous for pregnant women - it caused severe foetal malformations.’

Prof. Ewa Łojkowska also gives other examples of areas where gender should be taken into account, but this is not always the case.

For example, the symptoms of a heart attack differ between men and women (this is linked to the different aetiology of the condition) and this should be taken into account when diagnosing the condition. Diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitation equipment is often not adapted to the size of women’s organs or the anatomy of the female body. ‘It is bizarre that people were able to fly into space before, for example, designing seatbelts for pregnant women,’ notes prof. Ewa Łojkowska.

‘I Include Gender in Research’ also for the exact and natural sciences

Although the ‘I Include Gender in Research’ competition is aimed at researchers from various fields and disciplines, there have so far been relatively few entries from researchers in the exact and natural sciences - yet there are examples within these fields of extremely interesting research that takes into account the gender perspective of the research subjects. This is evidenced, for example, by the work of previous winners of the competition.

‘I get the impression that in the humanities and social sciences, the gender aspect is more prominent; it is more often visible in the title,’ says prof. Grzegorz Węgrzyn. ‘In the natural sciences, however, gender is often taken for granted (for example, research into a particular process includes both males and females), so it is not perceived as a significant element of the research. However, the mere inclusion of the gender aspect in a paper - even if gender is not the central focus of the research - means that the paper is eligible for submission to the competition.’

We therefore invite everyone who incorporates the gender aspect into their research to take part - regardless of their field or academic discipline!