14. Gender aspects

The members of this RTN make a serious commitment to foster gender balance in science. Traditionally, the percentage of women among mathematicians is rather low, but in this community, also under the influence of the previous HCM and TMR networks, there is a clear trend towards a better balance of genders, not only at the student level, but also on senior positions.

In the setup of the teams female TOs (team organizers) have been chosen in case of equal scientific and management qualification. By consequence, a team in Italy (I3) and a team in Spain (E1) are led by women. It is remarkable that in the team I3 half of the"key staff" are women

- an indication that probably efforts to increase the number of female scientists have an impact as such also to increase the number of women in leading positions.

Special measures to ensure equal opportunities are :

.) The TOs will be advised by the CO, in writing, to foster female participation.

.) Every team contains at least one female scientist who will eventually help forming a"network of female scientists" that has contact with activities on"gender balance" in- and outside the respective activity of the commission.

.) in case of equal scientific qualification among several applicants female candidates will have priority for training positions.

The female representative in the TC (Training Committee) has effective power concerning gender balance in hiring decisions (cf the formal procedure in chapter C.9).

.) The flexibility in defining salaries/grants might be used to implement an allowance for special needs of Pre/Postdocs with children , if permitted by the rules of the commission.

.) About 12 months of training will be partly dedicated so that young scientists help the CO in the scientific coordination, also for the annual reports, midterm review, etc. Female candidates or candidates from the"less experienced" satellites (Poland, Prague, Israel) will be preferred, for these positions with a management training aspect , appointment upon information of the TC, as usual.