CEWS is an exceptional institution that has been established to improve the situation of female professionals and increase the proportion of women in executive positions in science and research. CEWS, at the Information Centre of Social Science (Informationszentrum Sozialwissenschaften), is an information, service and co-ordination centre. It has an international orientation which combines, reinforces and accompanies all activities concerning the assertion of equal opportunities for Women in science and research, including networking. In this process its central task is to provide instruments and structures to plan and assert equal opportunities and gender mainstreaming in universities and research facilities and to push for their implementation. At the same time, it represents a platform, which invites all interested political and social institutions, bodies, initiatives and projects to participate in national and international dialogue.

 The main objectives of CEWS are:

• a perceptible increase in the proportion of Women in executive positions in science and research;
• to increase the efficiency of measures at universities and research institutions;
• to implement gender mainstreaming as a basic principle and measures in science and research. 

The scope of activities is international. CEWS implements German and EU projects both on an independent basis and in cooperation with other partners, and furthermore network best practice measures for the enforcement of equal opportunities on a high level.

CEWS work is structured in several main areas of work, including "Women in Industrial research". In this area of research CEWS is a consortium partner of "Women Core".  

Besides this CEWS is currently coordinating two projects in the 6th Framework Programme, Science and Society, the European Platform of Women Scientists (PLATWOMSCI) und Encouragement to Advance  - Training Seminars for Women Scientitst (ENCOUWOMSCI).

Another project Databases of Women Scientists (DATAWOMSCI) is finished already.

All projects are so-called Specific Support Actions (SSA).

European Platform of Women Scientists EPWS

From its location in Brussels the European Platform of Women Scientists seeks to support the work of a whole range of existing national, regional and international networks of women scientists by "networking the networks". At the same time the platform aims to make women scientists better understand the role they can play in the research policy debate and how to fully benefit from these opportunities by bundling their powers and forces. The primary target group being already existing networks, the Platform also addresses individual women scientists who want to network or are seeking information beyond their existing networks.

In line with the European RTD Framework Programmes science is to be understood in the broadest sense, including not only natural sciences, engineering and technology but also social sciences, humanities and arts or medical science.

Toward the end of 2003 CEWS as sole contractor participated in a call for proposals by the European Commission to establish a "European Platform of women Scientists" and received an excellent evaluation. After successfully completing contract negotiations with the EC, preparatory work started in February 2005. It has an initial duration of 28 months and is funded with € 2 million.

Further information about the European Platform:

http://www.epws.org/

Contact: Isabel Beuter

CEWS launches new EU-Project to support women scientist supranational careers in research and higher education

The project 'Encouragement to Advance -Training Seminars for Women Scientists' is a scientific support action of the 6th EU-Framework programme for research and technological development. It intends to empower women scientists within the European Research Area (ERA).

With this project CEWS aims to directly support European women scientists with a new Project focused on training seminars.

Encouragement to Advance - Training Seminars for Women Scientists provides women scientists with training on appointment procedures in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, and the Czech Republic. Countries have been selected due to similar appointment procedures. The project also stimulates mobility and supranational careers in research and higher education. 

Trainings are accessible for women scientists, who do not yet hold a position as a (full) professor but are qualified for appointments. Participants must hold a PhD or equivalent degree for at least four years, and have a grasp of the general landscape of academia in one of the named countries.

Each four-day-long seminar provides a surplus of knowledge due to international appointment procedures, supervision of effective professorial lectures, and training of how to conduct negotiations at universities committees; examination of application documents; individual support in career strategies development and career-objectives, as well as finding ones own benefit in an international academic landscape. Participants enter a Europe-wide network of women scientists subsequent to the seminar.

The last day centres information of the European dimension of science and research. Experts give insights on European research policy, European Commissions framework program 7 and the European Platform of Women Scientist EPWS.

The project Encouragement to Advance - Training Seminars for Women Scientists is supported by the European Commissions 6th framework program as specific support action and has an overall budget of 430.000 €. The project is running from October 2006 till July 2008. An overall of 16 Seminars, of 14 participants each, are held in Brussels from April 2007 until January 2008. Trainings are held in English or German, due to participants needs.

Application forms to participate in the trainings will be available on this site form December 2006 onwards.

The overall concept of Encouragement to Advance - Training Seminars for Women Scientists refers to encouraging experiences made within the German project ‘Anstoss zum Aufstieg', running at CEWS 2001-2005. More than 700 women scientists were trained on specific appointment procedures using role-plays, skilled in negotiation and prepared for next career steps by professional coaching. CEWS presented its final evaluation results on a specialist congress at the Bonn Science Centre (Wissenschaftszentrum Bonn) in 2004. Results published in 2006 by Kleine Verlag (cews.Beitraege.no4).

For more details please contact
Encouragement to Advance - Training Seminars for Women Scientist
Co-ordinator: Anke Lipinsky
p. + 49- 228- 2281 528
f.  + 49- 228- 2281 540

anke.lipinsky@cews.org

EU project on databases of women scientists (DATAWOMSCI)

Databases of women scientists are an important strategy to promote women in science and to increase the percentage of women in top-positions in the scientific field. Six well-established partners from five countries who stand for profound gender knowledge have come together in the project "A study on databases of women scientists" (shortly named DATAWOMSCI Project). The objectives and results of this project consists of:

• an analysis and evaluation of the status quo on existing databases offering an overview of databases of women scientists
• criteria of quality and recommendations on developing and revising women scientists' databases, presented as a catalogue of high quality criteria
• a feasibility study on future perspectives for linking women scientists' databases in order to create a common basis and to make them more accessible nationally and internationally.

In order to realise the meaning, potential and perspectives of databases of women scientists for the scientific area the results of this project can be a useful manual. For further information to the scope of the project check the EU activities at  www.cews.org