Call for Research Projects 2026 “Women and Science”

In 2026, the Women and Science Chair launches its eighth call for research projects, aimed at the entire academic community without any restrictions in terms of disciplines or in terms of methodology (field studies, modeling, empirical studies, experimental approaches, etc.). This year, 5 to 7 research projects will be selected and receive support of up to € 10,000. 

Projects submitted under this call may address any of the research themes covered by the Women and Science Chair (see below). However, the selection committee will give particular attention to the themes identified as priority areas for the 2026 Call for Projects:

• Stereotypes and scientific socialization: the mechanisms through which STEM-related stereotypes are formed and reinforced from early childhood and throughout the life course.
• Women and digital technologies: women’s participation in digital fields and artificial intelligence; the transformation of occupations; gender bias in technological systems; AI and selection/recruitment processes in STEM education and careers; women’s uses and experiences of AI.
• The role of social media in the gendered construction of scientific aspirations and career choices, as well as in shaping stereotypes related to women and STEM.
• Pedagogy and knowledge transmission: the role of teaching methods and educational practices in shaping educational choices, promoting inclusion, and fostering scientific aspirations.
• Analysis and evaluation of public policies and civil society initiatives (in schools, among students, teachers, and other stakeholders) aimed at reducing gender disparities in science, particularly within the framework of the Girls and Mathematics national action plan.
• Determinants of educational and career choices in scientific fields, including the relationship between study pathways and career aspirations (e.g., remuneration, public versus private sector opportunities, working conditions and work-life balance).
• Gender, science, and society: health, climate, and societal transitions; the role and representation of women in scientific fields with significant societal impact; and the respective contributions of families, educators, policymakers, opinion leaders, and particularly men, in fostering a more equitable society.

Particular interest will also be given to projects involving researchers from different disciplines (management science, sociology, economics, mathematics, etc.) and/or involving international analyzes and comparisons.

By submitting an application, project leaders undertake, if they are selected, to participate in one or more events of the Chair, to produce a short video on their work and to write a short presentation of the conclusions of their works (in French or English) accessible to a wide audience. Selected projects and related publications must mention the support of the Chair. A researcher can only receive one time the financial support of the Chair.

The deadline for the submission of applications to this call for research projects is September 20, 2026.

For more information about the Women and Science Chair, you can visit this link.

How to apply to the call for projects

1. Application

Projects conducted by senior researchers (who have already obtained a doctorate and published research papers) are eligible, regardless of nationality, place of practice or discipline.

The call for projects is published on SSRN and INOMICS. Application files must be submitted directly to INOMICS platform by September 20, 2026 at midnight (Paris time). For more information, you can send an email to à aida.hamdi@dauphine.psl.eu .

Each application will be written in French or in English and will consist of the following elements:

• A title,
• Summary (½ page),
• Positioning of the subject and review of the literature (1 page),
• Contextual elements (does the project have already started, is the research project based on particular studies or experiments?) (½ page),
• Methodology and calendar (1page),
• List of participants and the financing needs of the project with details of the different type of expenses (½ page),
• A short bibliography,
• The CV of the project leader (mandatorily a senior researcher).

Each application file must include a summary page following the template provided in the appendix.

2. Selection

The members of the steering committee of the Women and Science Chair, as well as the members of the scientific committee, will evaluate the applications.

The selection criteria are:

• the adequacy of the project with the themes of the call for projects,
• the scientific excellence of the project,
• the feasibility of the project within reasonable deadlines,
• the quality of the team of researchers involved,
• the innovative dimension of the project,
• the diversity of approaches and involved disciplines,
• the scope of the expected results,
• where appropriate, transdisciplinarity and parity of the research team.

The selection committee will ensure, as far as possible, a good geographic representation of all the projects funded by the Chair.

3. Calendar

September 20, 2026 midnight (Paris time): Closing of the call for projects 

October-November 2026: Evaluation of the applications 

December 2026: Announcement of selected projects and signing of agreements. 

Members of the Scientific Committee of the Women and Science Chair

- Elyès Jouini, Professor, Paris-Dauphine University - PSL

- Thomas Breda, CNRS Research Fellow, Paris School of Economics and Institute of Public Policies

- Marie-Pierre Dargnies, Professor, Lille University

- Dominique Meurs, Professor, University of Paris Nanterre, associate researcher at INED and the Institute of Public Policies

- Sophie Pochic, Research Director at the CNRS, member of the Center Maurice Halbwachs, ENS-EHESS

- Claudia Senik, Professor, Sorbonne University and Paris School of Economics PSE

General themes of the Women and Science Chair

• Impact of not taking gender into account in the design of scientific studies,
• Impact of the absence or under-representation of women in scientific sectors (STEM) on the quality of research and strategic decisions,
• Career trajectories, career and wage gaps intra-company or cross-companies by sector (for example, in medicine, data analysis, artificial intelligence, industry, etc.)
• Supply and demand in scientific tracks (SYEM),
• Evaluation of public policies or experiments and international benchmarks,
• Determinants of the lower representation of women in scientific tracks and careers (STEM):
• Impact of the environment: social representations, parents, teachers, role of men, their views on the place of women in science, opinion of male scientists on gender equality in their profession, family life
• Links between choice of courses/tracks and school performance,
• Self-confidence, risk aversion and decision,
• Identification of rupture/dropout zones.

Appendix: Summary sheet required for each application file.

1. Title
2. Project leader and affiliation
3. Team members and their affiliations
4. Problem statement (max 3 lines)
5. Requested amount
6. Projet duration
7. Use of AI in the proposal