"Integrating sex and gender into research and innovation" refers to research and innovation that incorporate sex- and gender-based analysis. This will contribute to achieving better science, especially in terms of research quality, economic impact, and societal and ethical aspects. In this strategic proposal, we will present specific science, technology, and innovation (STI) policies, as well as concrete measures, to promote the integration of sex and gender into research and innovation.

Sex and gender have been overlooked in science, even though they are significant factors for understanding human beings and animals. The notion that this situation represents both a risk that needs to be addressed and an opportunity for further research and innovation has been spreading among research communities. That is why several countries have introduced systematic measures to promote the consideration of sex and gender in research since the 2000s. Nowadays, several major research funding agencies and international peer-reviewed journals require that researchers consider sex and gender in their research. As a result, Japanese researchers also need to take these factors into account when they engage in international collaborative research and submit their papers to international journals. However, in Japan, national policy measures and support systems to promote such efforts are still not sufficient, so researchers need to address this on their own.

The Japanese government has recognized these issues as an important STI policy challenge and has been discussing how to promote "gendered innovations". In terms of STI policy, an urgent task is to implement world-standards policies, while keeping the burden on researchers and research institutions such as universities to a minimum.

To address this, JST-CRDS conducted a survey of national STI policies and initiatives in eight countries. Based on this survey, we argue that the most significant and effective STI policy measures to promote consideration of sex and gender are implemented through national research funding agencies.

In this strategic proposal, we propose three measures, which are mainly implemented through national competitive research funding schemes.

Measure 1: Integrating sex and gender considerations into national competitive research funding schemes
Integrating the consideration of sex and gender into national competitive research funding schemes will provide more opportunities for researchers and reviewers, as well as ministries in charge of STI and national funding agencies, to take sex and gender into account. As a result, research design and processes can be improved. These improvements, in turn, will make it possible to promote a broader, faster and more sustainable uptake of such considerations across the research system, while reducing the need for individual researchers and research institutions such as universities to act on their own.

Measure 1 consists of the following three actions:

• (1) Introducing a section on the consideration of sex and gender in application forms and gradually incorporating this into evaluation criteria.
• (2) Developing and using guidelines for researchers, reviewers, policymakers, and other stakeholders.
• (3) Having funding agencies conduct monitoring, translate results into information dissemination and provide training.

Among these, action (1) in particular forms the foundation and should therefore be implemented without delay.

Measure 2: Accelerating R&D integrating sex and gender through funding
Measure 2 aims to accelerate R&D integrating sex and gender by establishing and promoting national competitive funding programmes. Through these programmes, experience, knowledge, and human resources related to R&D integrating sex and gender can be generated and accumulated not only in medicine, the life sciences and digital technologies, but also in other fields. At the same time, these schemes are expected to increase the interest and awareness of a wide range of stakeholders involved in them, including researchers, universities and other research institutions, and companies.

Measure 3: Establishment of the national STI policy framework
In light of global trends in scientific research, the promotion of "gendered innovations" has also emerged as a policy issue in Japan's medium term national plans and strategies, such as the 7th Science, Technology and Innovation Basic Plan, the 3rd phase of The Healthcare Policy, and the 6th Basic Plan for Gender Equality. These basic plans and strategies will in turn influence future initiatives by relevant ministries and agencies, funding agencies, universities, and other research institutions. Therefore, it is desirable that the promotion of research, development, and innovation that take sex and gender into account should be positioned as concrete policies and measures at each policy level and within each organization.

The implementation of the above measures will be a first step toward fostering a culture in which sex and gender are considered in research and development practice. As knowledge, know-how, and norms become more widely shared, the pool of human resources with experience in research that takes sex and gender into account will grow, and autonomous consideration of these factors will advance. From a longer-term perspective, it is expected that the implementation of these measures will lead to better science, in which the benefits of science and technology are shared by all.

We plan to release the English edition in March 2026.

• (in Japanese) Integration of Sex and Gender into Research and Innovation: A Policy Framework for Gendered Innovations