Gender equality policy in research systemsprimary
3 projects
Led or joined GENDERACTION, GENDER NET Plus, and SUPERA — all focused on embedding gender equality into research funding and academic institutions.
Organization
MINISTERIO DE CIENCIA, INNOVACION Y UNIVERSIDADES
Spain's science ministry driving gender equality policy, NCP coordination, and international research cooperation across 42 countries.
Public authoritysocietyES
H2020 projects
6
As coordinator
2
Total EC funding
€1.4M
Unique partners
103
What they do
Their core work
Spain's Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities is the national government body responsible for research policy, funding allocation, and international science cooperation. Within H2020, it acts as a policy coordination hub — driving gender equality reforms across research institutions, bridging EU and Latin American research infrastructure networks, and supporting National Contact Point structures for Horizon Europe transitions. Its role is fundamentally about shaping the rules and frameworks under which research happens, rather than conducting research itself.
Core expertise
What they specialise in
NCP coordination and Horizon Europe transitionprimary
1 project
Coordinated Bridge2HE (largest budget at EUR 475K), building transnational NCP support structures for the Horizon Europe transition.
EU-Latin America research infrastructure cooperationsecondary
1 project
Coordinated EU-LAC ResInfra, establishing political dialogue and partnerships for shared research infrastructure between EU and CELAC countries.
1 project
Participated in EU-PolarNet 2, contributing to the design of the European Polar Research Area and Arctic/Antarctic policy advice.
Evolution & trajectory
How they've shifted over time
Early focus
Gender equality in research
Recent focus
International science cooperation
From 2017 to 2019, the Ministry focused almost exclusively on gender equality in the European Research Area — three of its first four projects addressed gender mainstreaming, institutional change, and sex/gender analysis in research funding. From 2019 onward, the portfolio diversified sharply into international research infrastructure cooperation (EU-LAC ResInfra), polar research governance (EU-PolarNet 2), and Horizon Europe readiness (Bridge2HE). This shift signals a move from a single-issue policy agenda toward broader science diplomacy and ERA transition responsibilities.
The Ministry is expanding from domestic research policy reform toward international science diplomacy and EU framework programme transition support — expect future projects in global research cooperation and ERA governance.
Collaboration profile
How they like to work
Role: active_partnerReach: Global42 countries collaborated
The Ministry splits evenly between leading and joining consortia (2 coordinated, 4 as participant), taking the coordinator role on its larger, more policy-oriented projects. With 103 unique partners across 42 countries, it operates as a broad network hub rather than a repeat-partner organization. This is typical of a national ministry: it brings political authority, policy access, and co-funding capacity rather than technical expertise, making it a valuable but specific type of consortium partner.
Remarkably wide network for just 6 projects: 103 unique partners spanning 42 countries, reflecting the Ministry's role in transnational policy coordination. Geographic reach extends well beyond Europe into Latin America (EU-LAC ResInfra) and polar regions.
Why partner with them
What sets them apart
As a national ministry rather than a research performer, this organization brings something most consortium partners cannot: direct access to national research policy levers and funding decisions. It is one of the few H2020 participants that can commit a country's political will to ERA objectives. For consortium builders, partnering with this Ministry signals government-level endorsement and opens doors to Spanish national co-funding and policy alignment.
Notable projects
Highlights from their portfolio
- Bridge2HELargest budget (EUR 475K) and coordinator role — directly shaped the NCP support infrastructure for Spain's transition to Horizon Europe.
- EU-LAC ResInfraCoordinator of a politically significant project building research infrastructure partnerships between Europe and Latin America at ministerial level.
- SUPERATargeted institutional change for gender equality inside research funding organisations — the Ministry applying reform to its own operations.
Cross-sector capabilities
Research policy and ERA governanceInternational science diplomacyPolar and environmental research coordinationResearch infrastructure planning
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