Gender differences in career trajectories of parents and their implications for gender equality and family well-being

This summary outlines a Horizon Europe grant opportunity focused on researching gender differences in parental career trajectories and how these disparities impact gender equality and family well-being. The grant is part of the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society program and is specifically categorized as a Research and Innovation Action. The application process is a two-stage open call, with submission deadlines set for September 16, 2025, for stage one and March 17, 2026, for stage two. The funding mechanism is a Horizon Lump Sum Grant, covering 100% of eligible costs.

Eligible applicants for this grant include universities, research institutions, consortia, and organizations capable of conducting research aligned with the objectives of the call. The geographic eligibility primarily encompasses EU member states and associated countries, but there may be provisions for non-EU countries under specific conditions.

The research is targeted towards the social sciences and humanities, focusing on various factors influencing parental career decisions, including socio-economic outcomes, workplace policies, and cultural norms. The studies should explore key themes such as the economic implications of parental roles, the influence of childcare systems, and the experiences of marginalized groups such as LGBTIQ parents or those from migrant backgrounds.

Expected funding for individual grants ranges from approximately €3 million to €5 million, with total budgets for the topics estimated at €10.2 million and €12 million, respectively. Proposals must leverage European datasets to ensure compliance with the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles, exploring both quantitative and qualitative research avenues.

The evaluation of proposals will be based on criteria including innovation potential, societal impact, and the methodological rigor of research designs. Additionally, adherence to specific format and submission guidelines, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Work Programme, is essential.

Overall, this grant aims to generate valuable insights into the gendered impacts on career paths of parents and to develop evidence-based strategies to promote gender equality and enhance family well-being.

This is a Horizon Europe call for proposals under the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society program, specifically targeting research and innovation actions (RIA) related to gender differences in career trajectories of parents and their implications for gender equality and family well-being. The call is a two-stage process with an opening date of May 15, 2025, and deadlines on September 16, 2025, and March 17, 2026. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant.

The expected outcomes of the projects should include a better understanding among policymakers, social partners, and other stakeholders regarding gender differences in parental career trajectories and their consequences for gender inequalities in the labor market and within households. It also aims to improve the understanding of the links between parental career and childcare-related decisions, family well-being, and different policy/institutional settings, ultimately providing policymakers with effective policy options to reduce gender gaps in labor market outcomes and support family well-being.

The scope of the research should focus on identifying key gender differences in the careers of parents and assessing how these differences affect gender gaps in socio-economic outcomes such as employment, entrepreneurship, occupation, pay, career opportunities, working conditions, mental health, and poverty risks. The research should adopt an intersectional perspective, considering factors like household composition, socio-economic status, gender identity (LGBTIQ parents), migrant background, and racial or ethnic origin. Proposals should assess the consequences of different career trajectories for families, considering family arrangements, age and number of children, relationship quality, economic and social resources, and family well-being. The analysis should also cover the drivers of parental career and household decisions, including the division of unpaid childcare, social norms, work cultures, and institutional and policy settings like childcare, parental leaves, and flexible working arrangements.

Proposals should leverage data from European Research Infrastructures federated under the European Open Science Cloud and relevant Data Spaces, ensuring that the data produced is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Re-usable). The proposals should explore longitudinal data from administrative or survey sources, use quantitative models to explore individual and structural drivers, and provide in-depth insights through qualitative research and case studies.

Specific areas of focus include the impact of early childhood education and care systems, child/parent-friendly workplaces, quantifying economic costs of child/motherhood penalties, reflecting on the impact on women from migrant backgrounds, and investigating the impact of heteronormative norms on LGBTIQ parents.

The admissibility conditions require adherence to the page limits and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form. The page limit for Part B in the first stage is 10 pages. Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are detailed in Annex C, while evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are in Annex D. Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F and the Online Manual, and the indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is also in Annex F. Legal and financial setup of the grants will be based on lump sum contributions as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE RIA IA Stage 1) and the Standard application form (HE RIA, IA) for the second stage. Evaluation form templates include the Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA and CSA Stage 1) and the Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA) for the second stage. Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum MGA, and the guidance document "Lump sums - what do I need to know?". Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2025 sections, the HE Programme Guide, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, the Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Statement.

There are two specific topics mentioned with their respective budgets and indicative number of grants:

HORIZON-CL2-2025-02-HERITAGE-02-two-stage with a budget of 12,000,000 EUR and an indicative contribution of 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 EUR per grant, with 3 grants expected.

HORIZON-CL2-2025-02-TRANSFO-04-two-stage with a budget of 10,200,000 EUR and an indicative contribution of around 3,400,000 EUR per grant, with 3 grants expected.

There are 37 partner search announcements available. Support is available through the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points, Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk, ETSI Research Helpdesk, the European Charter for Researchers, and Partner Search.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call seeks research projects that will investigate the gendered impacts on parental career trajectories, aiming to inform policy and promote gender equality and family well-being. It is a two-stage call with a focus on using a lump sum funding model. The call encourages interdisciplinary approaches and the use of European data infrastructures. The goal is to provide evidence-based policy recommendations to address gender inequalities in the labor market and support families.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given that it is a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action (RIA), eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The mention of LEAR appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment suggests that a wide range of legal entities can apply, provided they meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the Horizon Europe program guide.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] under the Horizon Europe Programme. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025).

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, the presence of a "Partner Search" section and the general nature of Horizon Europe RIAs suggest that consortia are common and potentially encouraged, but single applicants might also be eligible depending on the specific topic requirements.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. This indicates that the primary geographic eligibility is for EU and associated countries, with potential eligibility for non-EU countries under specific conditions.

Target Sector: The target sector is Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society. Specifically, the call HORIZON-CL2-2025-02-TRANSFO-04-two-stage focuses on "Gender differences in career trajectories of parents and their implications for gender equality and family well-being." The research should fall within the broad scope of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH).

Mentioned Countries: The text mentions Ukraine in the context of migration flows following Russia's war of aggression, but this does not imply specific eligibility or ineligibility for Ukrainian participants. The general eligibility extends to EU member states and associated countries, with possibilities for non-EU countries as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Project Stage: The project stage is research and innovation, as indicated by the "HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA)" designation. The projects are expected to explore, assess, and analyse various aspects of parental careers, gender equality, and family well-being, suggesting a focus on development and validation stages of research.

Funding Amount: For the topic HORIZON-CL2-2025-02-HERITAGE-02-two-stage, the budget is EUR 12,000,000 with an indicative contribution of EUR 3,000,000 to EUR 4,000,000 per grant. For the topic HORIZON-CL2-2025-02-TRANSFO-04-two-stage, the budget is EUR 10,200,000 with an indicative contribution of around EUR 3,400,000 per grant.

Application Type: The application type is a two-stage open call, as indicated by "two-stage" in the call description and the deadline model.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process consists of two stages. The page limit for Part B of the proposal for the first stage is 10 pages.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, Horizon Europe grants often involve a certain level of co-funding, which may be detailed in the specific call conditions or the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Summary:

This opportunity is a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action (RIA) grant focusing on Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society. Specifically, it targets research projects that address gender differences in career trajectories of parents and their implications for gender equality and family well-being. The call is a two-stage process, with the first stage requiring a 10-page proposal. Funding is provided as a lump sum grant, with individual grants ranging from approximately EUR 3,000,000 to EUR 4,000,000. Eligible applicants include a variety of legal entities such as universities, research institutes, and businesses from EU member states and associated countries, with potential for participation from non-EU countries. The projects should contribute to a better understanding of gender inequalities in the labor market and within households, and provide policymakers with effective policy options to reduce gender gaps and support family well-being. The call encourages the use of longitudinal data, quantitative models, and qualitative research to explore the drivers and consequences of parental career decisions.