New SNSF Gender Equality Commission: innovative approaches to equal opportunities

The SNSF has implemented a wide range of measures to improve gender equality in research funding, such as MHV grants, the 120% support grant or the funding of mentoring programmes. Despite these measures, progress in this area has been slow. "It is time for new approaches to gender equality," says Martin Vetterli, President of the National Research Council. "We have to face the challenges of gender equality in new and original ways."

Advising and developing new strategies

With a view to finding new approaches to old challenges, the SNSF appointed a new Gender Equality Commission at the beginning of May. This independent body composed of international experts will advise the SNSF on gender equality issues and help in developing new strategies. The members are:

• Susan M. Gasser, president of the commission, director of the Friedrich Miescher Institute and professor at the University of Basel.
• Thomas Hinz, University of Constance
• Nicky Le Feuvre, University of Lausanne
• Gary Loke, Equality Challenge Unit, London
• Patricia Schulz, CEDAW member and former director of the Federal Office for Gender Equality
• Anna Wahl, Royal Technical Institute KTI, Stockholm
• Maya Widmer, gender equality representative of the SNSF