(Strategic Proposals)
Integration of Sex and Gender Considerations into Research and Innovation: A Policy Framework for Gendered Innovations／CRDS-FY2025-SP-03_EN
Integrating sex and gender considerations into R&I contributes to better science by enhancing research excellence, economic impact, and more ethical R&I practices. In this Strategic Proposal, we will present specific science, technology, and innovation (STI) policies, as well as concrete measures, to promote these efforts.
Even though sex and gender are important variables for understanding human beings and animals, they have been overlooked in some cases. While these oversights have resulted in several issues, such as widening the gender gap and a loss of research investment, actively addressing these variables can lead to further research development and innovation. 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. 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-standard 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 research, we argue that the most significant and effective STI policy measures to promote "the integration of sex and gender into research and innovation" 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 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 in funding application forms and gradual implementation of evaluation; (2) Developing and using guidelines for researchers, reviewers, policymakers, and other stakeholders; and (3) Monitoring, training, and information sharing for engagement in mutual learning.
Measure 2: Accelerating sex and gender science through funding
Measure 2 aims to accelerate sex and gender R&I by establishing and promoting national competitive funding programs. Through these programs, experience, knowledge, and human resources related to sex and gender R&I can be generated and accumulated not only in medicine, the life sciences, and information technology, 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: Establishing an institutional framework for STI policy
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 Plan for Promotion of Medical Research and Development Phase Ⅲ, 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 R&I that takes 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 R&I 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 variables 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.
