Publications

On this page you will find a list of publications in English by the Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research (KIF Committee).

The policy brief, 12 February 2024 (screen shot).

Policy brief: A new ERA of inclusion and intersectionality

Background: The Benchmarking report on terminology and policy on intersectionality was written in 2023 by Heidi H. Zachariassen and Ella Ghosh, both members of the KIF Committee's secretariat, in addition to Ross Woods who is head of equality at the Higher Education Authority of Ireland. The report was produced as part of the EU project GENDERACTIONplus.

The objective of the study was to identify which countries had national requirements for working with more grounds than just gender in legislation and policies for the university and university college sector. Furthermore, the study was to look at whether countries with such requirements also had an intersectional approach in their equality efforts.

February 2024 the recommendations were comprised in a policy brief.

Content: The policy brief presents recommendations for European policymakers, national authorities,
and research funding organisations (RFO). They distinguish between the concepts of diversity and inclusion in relation to intersectionality.

Read about the work with the report in this news article on Kifinfo: At the start line for a broad understanding of equality

Read the policy brief

Film series on action plans for gender equality and diversity

Background: The Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research (KIF Committee) is encouraging universities, university colleges and research institutions to devise action plans to carry out efforts required under Norway’s Equality and Anti-Discrimination Act.

Content: The KIF Committee has made three films about why and how, and the key success factors behind action plans and efforts to promote gender equality.

The film series are made by Von kommunikasjon (November 2021). Selda Ekiz presents the KIF Committee’s advice.

See the film series: Film series on action plans

Read the news article: KIF Committee launches film series: Action plans for equality

From vision to reality ‒ a summary

Background: The report is a survey-based review (in Norwegian only) of how research institutes, universities and university colleges work to promote gender equality and diversity.

It was authored by Sabina Tica and commissioned by the Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research (KIF committee).

The report was presented via webinar 28 April 2021. This is an English summary (2021).

Content: The report is based on an analysis of the results of a survey conducted by the Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research (the KIF committee) of research institutes, university colleges and universities. The KIF committee initiated the survey to obtain more data and review the current status of efforts to promote gender balance and diversity in research, for use in its future work. The KIF committee designed and sent out the survey to a variety of research and higher education institutions. The survey was sent to HR heads at 64 institutions, of whom 48 responded.

Read the summary
Read the report (in Norwegian only)

See also: New report: Lack of resources for promoting gender equality

Policy brief: Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research

Background: On 8-9 November 2017, The Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research (KIF Committee) co-organized a Nordic conference on diversity and equality in research. The conference was organized in collaboration with Nordforsk, The Nordic Council of Ministers and the Norwegian Ministry for Education and Research.

Content: In connection to the conference, the committee published a policy brief summing up it’s work and pointing to challenges and opportunities ahead.

Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research, Curt Rice (Committee chair), 2017.

Download the policy brief in printer-friendly version or reader-friendly version.

Read about the conference Creating a competitive edge through diversity – leadership for Nordic research excellence towards 2030.

Contact the KIF secretariat to order a printed copy of the policy brief.

Report of the working group: Action for diversity. Recommended measures to promote academic staff diversity in research and higher education

Background: In 2015, the KIF Committee commissioned a report on diversity in research. The report “It’s not an advantage to be a foreigner” was written by the Work Research Institute (AFI) and the Nordic Institute for Studies of Innovation, Research and Education (NIFU). The report was presented in March 2016, and the Committee appointed a working group to follow up the findings of the report with a set of recommendations.

Content: One section briefly describes some challenges and a discussion of some central concepts, categories and contextual factors. The next section is about diversity measures, but first it addresses the rationale for diversity.

KIF Committee's working group, 2016.

Read the report:
Recommended measures to promote academic staff diversity in research and higher education

See also:
“More research needed on barriers for immigrants”
“Diversity efforts must be customized”

Using restructuring to promote gender equality and diversity – a guide for the research sector

Content: A number of universities and university colleges have been merged. The KIF Committee has prepared a guide to give university colleges and universities practical tools to use in their restructuring efforts and to remind them to keep gender balance and diversity foremost in their minds.

The guide is a follow-up of the conference Structural reform in the higher education sector: Promising for gender equality?, which was organized by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the KIF Committee in June 2016.

Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research, Curt Rice (Committee chair), 2017.

Download the guide:
reader-friendly version and printer-friendly version.
Contact the KIF secretariat to order a printed copy of the guide.

See also:
New guide for gender equality and diversity
New equality tool for mergers

Talent at stake. Changing the culture of research – gender-sensitive leadership

Content: In Talent at stake you will find interviews with leaders at various institutions and in a variety of research communities who have confronted the gender-equality challenge and made a difference. Letters from university rectors who present their experience with successful gender equality measures are also included. Talent at stake also presents measures for solving specific problems, facts, statistics and more.

This booklet is a revised, translated version of Talenter på spill – eksempler på god forskningsledelse, which was published in March 2010. The editors of Talent at stake are Linda M. Rustad and Anne Winsnes Rødland.

Committee for Gender Balance in Research, Gerd Bjørhovde (Committee chair) [Oslo, The Committee], 2010

Download the booklet: Talent at stake

See also: New booklet: Talent at stake

Positive action in Norwegian higher education and research: Challenges and opportunities 2008– 2010

Content: This report is the product of a direct request made by the Ministry of Education and Research in Norway to the Committee for Mainstreaming in January 2008, to come up with a proposal of practical measures and recommendations aimed at improving women’s career opportunities and chances of promotion in higher education and research on a national scale.

Committee for Mainstreaming - Women in Science, Gerd Bjørhovde (chair) [Oslo, The Committee], 2008

Download the report: Positive action in Norwegian higher education and research

See also: Recommends earmarking

Gender balance in higher education and research – golden opportunities

Content: In February 2007 the first Committee for Mainstreaming – Women in Science handed in its final report to the Ministry of Education and Research. In this report the committee gives its recommendations for further gender equality work in the academic sector, and summarizes the development of the gender balance and gender equality work in this sector for the past few years.

This English report is an abridged and reworked version of the original Norwegian document: Kjønnsbalanse i akademia - gylne muligheter : sluttrapport fra Komité for integreringstiltak - kvinner i forskning 2004-2006.

Committee for Mainstreaming - Women in Science. [Oslo, The Committee], 2007. - 34 p.

Download the report: Gender balance in higher education and research

See also: Economic rewards for hiring of women

Documents

European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (C&C) – an opportunity to further the gender equality work in the university and university college sector

Letter from the Committee for Mainstreaming - Women in Science to the Ministry of Education and Research in Norway dated 14 October 2008 (translated from Norwegian).

Content: The Committee for Mainstreaming – Women in Science performed in 2008 a gender-sensitive analysis of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.

Download the letter (.pdf)

Several reports

The Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research (KIF Committee) has also initiated and funded a number of research projects and surveys. Some of them also in English:

National fulfilment of EU's GEP criteria

Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research (KIF) on how Norway fulfils EU's criteria for gender equality plans (GEPs): National fulfilment of Horizon Europe’s mandatory requirements for a GEP – Norway (2022)

Policy briefs from SWG GRI

ERAC Standing Working Group on Gender in Research and Innovation (SWG GRI) is previously known as the Helsinki Group. The group is chaired by the Czech sociologist Marcela Linkova. Norway is represented in the SWG GRI by Heidi Zachariassen of the KIF Committee and Jesper Simonsen of the Research Council of Norway.

Read about SWG GRI