- Within the context of LIBRA we are creating awareness on the Sex/gender dimension of research (SGR). Specifically, recently, a growing movement in science is advocating for the so called "Sex/Gender Dimension of Research – SGR”. Indeed, despite the prevalence of sexual dimorphism in mammalian phenotypic traits, sex has often been overlooked in biomedical studies. This may result in research outcomes that are suboptimal with regards to human health. The main thrusts of SGR are that:
• Sex/gender is not neutral to many biological processes and must be considered as a variable in the experimental design to avoid extracting erroneous conclusions.
• The composition of biological samples by sex (cells, animal models) should be justified and reported.
• The justification of the sex should be done in accordance with the appropriateness of including one or both sexes, depending on the research target.
A number of funding agencies (for example European Commission, United States’ NIH, Irish Research Council, Austrian FWG, Deutche DFG) is, moreover, requiring to consider these aspects in their funding applications. - WLB module.
- Log in to our Teaching module for Sex & Gender in Biomedical Research.
- TARGET EVENT: Taking a Reflexive approach to Gender Equality for institutional Transformation. The event took place on December 15 2021, both online and live.