GUIDE + EQUIP + EMBED — Turning Findings into Policy and Practice
Evidence only changes things if it reaches the people who make decisions and gives them something practical to do. Work Package 4 takes everything the project has learned and turns it into clear advice and usable tools for policymakers, research organizations, and funders — so that fairness is not just talked about, but embedded in how European research is run.
What This Work Package Does
It combines three of the project’s building blocks:
- GUIDE — provide clear, intersectional policy recommendations.
- EQUIP — give institutions and evaluators practical tools they can use straight away.
- EMBED — help make these changes part of everyday practice and policy, so they last.
Who It Is For
The outputs are designed for several audiences, each with something concrete they can use:
- Policymakers and ministries — recommendations they can turn into policy reforms.
- Research performing organizations (universities, institutes) — guidelines for more inclusive hiring, career progression, and workplace practices.
- Research funding organizations (RFOs) and evaluators — a checklist for fair evaluation of researchers and proposals.
- Horizon Europe evaluators and reviewers — an index and tools that help assess and compare inclusiveness.
What Comes Out of It
| Deliverable | What it is (in plain words) | Expected |
|---|---|---|
| D4.1 Policy recommendations | Clear, intersectional recommendations for reforming research careers across the European Research Area. | August 2028 |
| D4.2 Inclusive practice guidelines | Practical guidance for institutions on inclusive hiring, support, and career development. | April 2028 |
| D4.3 Evaluator checklist | A checklist so evaluators can assess researchers and proposals fairly and consistently. | August 2029 |
| D4.4 ERA Inclusiveness Index | An index that measures and compares how inclusive research organizations are — so progress can be tracked. | August 2029 |
From evidence to lasting change. The project aims for at least 20 research organizations and 5 ministries to be using this evidence by the project’s end, and for over 100 organizations to use the ERA Inclusiveness Index within five years.
Who Leads It
This work package is led by Masaryk University (MU) in the Czech Republic, which brings expertise in inclusive teaching and fair leadership in higher education. It runs from February 2027 to August 2029.