Foreword

SAPEA seeks to produce excellent science advice that can bear the weight of the complex, high-stakes decisions it informs. But science advice is not neutral, it is produced within systems that carry assumptions about whose knowledge counts, whose questions are worth asking, and whose voices belong in the room. This strategy recognises that achieving the high standards SAPEA aspires to requires confronting the structural inequities that have narrowed who contributes, and in their place, building systems that are transparent, equitable, and accountable.

SAPEA tasked YASAS with leading the development of the strategy in line with its mission to strengthen the role of early- and mid-career researchers in the science advice ecosystem. These are the scientists and scholars who, at this stage of their careers, are often best placed to bring fresh approaches and interdisciplinary thinking. As an Executive Board member of YASAS, I was honoured to be selected to chair the SAPEA Working Group on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). I came to it with experience. Having contributed to the development of the EDI strategy for the Young Academy Ireland, I understood that the process of EDI strategy development is critical to outcome: who is in the room during development shapes priorities and goals. I also came with a personal stake. My own path through academia has not been linear, and without a degree of fortune I may not have arrived at this table at all. Dependency on circumstance is what the strategy seeks to dismantle.

The SAPEA EDI Working Group elevated the process, bringing commitment, rigour, and a diversity of perspective to the work. As part of our efforts, we organised an expert workshop in Brussels, which gathered EDI experts from within the SAPEA community and beyond, as well as representatives of the SAPEA EDI Working Group and members of the SAPEA and YASAS boards. I am grateful to all who contributed their time and voice to shaping the strategy. Collectively, we have created a strategy that sets out a clear commitment to embedding EDI as a condition of excellence and sets forth a clear pathway to achieving it.

I am proud to stand behind this EDI strategy and committed to its realisation. I also hope it inspires academies across Europe to look honestly at their own structures, to ask difficult questions and to create a more equitable and inclusive system that truly produces the excellence in science advice we all strive for.

Dr. Jennifer McMahon
Executive Board member, YASAS
Chair of the SAPEA Working Group on EDI
Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Limerick

Executive summary

Scientific advice is only as strong as the diversity of expertise, perspectives and voices that shape it. SAPEA is committed to ensuring that equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are not peripheral considerations but systematically embedded across all aspects of its scientific advisory work - from expert nomination and selection to evidence synthesis, deliberation, communications and outreach.

Building on real progress

Since its inception in 2016, Science Advice for Policy European Academies (SAPEA) has made measurable progress in embedding EDI principles in the composition of its Working Groups through quantitative targets. Early- and mid-career researcher (EMCR) participation stands at 40.5%, meeting the 40% target set in 2024; women represent 40.5% of all selected experts, meeting the target of no more than 60% of one gender; and representation from Widening countries has reached 22.4%, surpassing the 18% target. Near gender parity has been achieved in speakers across events, webinars, and podcast panels. This strategy builds on and consolidates the progress made under two earlier strategies, the Strategy on diversity and inclusiveness (2023) and the Strategy to increase the involvement of early- and mid-career researchers (2024), into a single, more ambitious framework.

Diversity characteristics and quantitative targets for SAPEA
Working Groups

SAPEA is committed to balanced representation across five diversity characteristics in its Working Groups, with the following quantitative targets applying:

1. Disciplinary coverage
   Inter- and multi-disciplinary representation, with expertise drawn from relevant fields depending on the topic, including natural sciences, engineering and technology, agricultural and veterinary sciences, medical and health sciences, social sciences, and humanities
   and the arts.
2. Involvement of experts from the wider scientific community
   Expertise is drawn from both Academy Fellows and the wider scientific community, including experts who are not Academy Fellows.
3. Inclusion of early-career and mid-career researchers
   At least 10% early-career researchers (ECRs), up to seven years post-PhD, at least 30% mid-career researchers (MCRs), up to 19 years post-PhD, and at least 40% EMCRs combined. For Working Groups requiring expertise in medical and health sciences, the 30% MCR target also applies within that subset.
4. Gender balance
   No more than 60% of one gender overall, with the target also applied to the following three subsets: late-career researchers, more than 19 years post-PhD; experts in the field of natural sciences; and experts in the field of engineering and technology.
5. Wide geographical coverage
   At least 23% of members from Widening countries (introduced from 2026 onwards, raised from the previous target of 18%).

SAPEA also considers the intersection of different characteristics of diversity in the composition of its Working Groups, with targets informed by intersectional analysis set out above.

These EDI considerations extend beyond Working Groups to inform expert selection for expert workshops and peer review, speaker selection for events, and communications activities. Diversity criteria and targets are communicated transparently in all calls for expert nomination.

Five strategic objectives

This strategy is structured around five interconnected objectives:

How the strategy will be implemented

Implementation is phased across three horizons: immediate actions in year one, medium-term developments in year two, and longer-term systemic changes in years three to five. A strategy review is planned to begin in early 2028. Progress will require openness, shared responsibility, and sustained commitment. SAPEA approaches this not as a compliance exercise, but as an opportunity to become a more credible, more representative, and ultimately more effective and responsible contributor to science advice in Europe.

About SAPEA

Science Advice for Policy by European Academies (SAPEA) is a consortium of academy networks, funded by Horizon Europe, representing around 120 academies from over 40 countries across Europe. SAPEA comprises the European Academy Networks: ALLEA, EASAC, Euro-CASE, FEAM and YASAS as well as Academia Europaea. Together with the independent Group of Chief Scientific Advisors (GCSA) to the European Commission and the Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM) Secretariat, they form the European Commission’s SAM, which provides independent scientific evidence and policy recommendations to the European institutions by request of the College of Commissioners.

Through its academies and academy networks across Europe, SAPEA brings together outstanding expertise from natural sciences, engineering and technology, agricultural and veterinary sciences, medical and health sciences, social sciences, and humanities and the arts.

In delivering its work, SAPEA is guided by the following objectives:

• Provide timely, transparent, and high-quality scientific evidence to support EU policymaking.
• Strengthen collaboration and participation among European science academies.
• Promote diversity, interdisciplinarity, and inclusive participation across career stages, backgrounds, and expertise.
• Engage with citizens, stakeholders, researchers, and policymakers to disseminate and assess the impact of scientific advice.
• Increase awareness of the role of science advice in policymaking through outreach, communication, and dissemination activities.

Our starting point

SAPEA sees equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) as fundamental to the quality, legitimacy and societal relevance of scientific advice, and recognises that robust evidence and advice are strengthened when informed by a broad diversity of disciplines, perspectives, and intellectual traditions. Traditional structures within academia and scientific advisory systems have not always enabled balanced participation across multiple diversity dimensions, and barriers to representation and inclusion persist.

Diversity is not only about widening expertise and participation. It also requires examining the assumptions, framings and institutional norms that shape what questions are asked and which perspectives are centred, even in groups that are diverse in their membership. This may also include recognising that different research traditions contribute not only distinct disciplinary expertise but, where appropriate, different modes of inquiry and knowledge production, particularly where policy questions involve complexity, uncertainty, and human interaction.

Advancing EDI across diverse institutional and cultural environments is complex, and meaningful change requires reflection, partnership, transparency and sustained commitment. Through this strategy, SAPEA commits to embedding EDI principles, targets, and measures across its work and culture, and to fostering a more inclusive and representative environment so that a wider range of expertise, experiences and voices can contribute to addressing the challenges societies are facing today. Progress will require ongoing learning, evaluation and adaptation, and SAPEA is committed to that journey.

SAPEA’s EDI Strategy: vision and mission

Vision: Our vision is for scientific advice that draws on experts across disciplines, career stages, gender and geographical backgrounds, whether Fellows or non-Fellows of Academies. SAPEA will embed equality, diversity and inclusion as a core principle to ensure that the best available expertise informs policy questions, that all experts can participate meaningfully, and that SAPEA serves as a model for inclusive, high-quality scientific advice.

Mission: We will systematically strengthen EDI principles across all aspects of SAPEA’s scientific advisory work — from nomination and selection to evidence synthesis, deliberation, and communications — through clear commitments, evidence-informed actions, and a culture of transparency, accountability, continuous learning and improvement.

Introduction

What this strategy is and why it matters

This document sets out SAPEA’s Strategy on equality, diversity and inclusion, defining SAPEA’s commitments, objectives and planned actions to systematically embed EDI principles across its scientific advisory work. It builds on and supersedes the Strategy of diversity and inclusiveness within the Quality assurance guidelines (September 2023) and Strategy to increase the involvement of early- and mid-career researchers in SAPEA (December 2024), while supporting SAPEA’s core objective on diversity and inclusion.1

The strategy is aligned with EU principles of inclusion (European Commission, 2026) and excellence in science (European Commission, 2021) and may also serve as a useful reference for national, European and international science-policy mechanisms and academies.

EDI definitions

For the purposes of this strategy, SAPEA uses the following definitions:

Equality
Open and equal opportunity and non-discriminatory, consistently applied procedures for participation.2 It means clear and uniformly applied criteria for expert involvement (e.g. in nomination and selection), and equal access to participation conditions once selected (e.g. access to information, speaking time, and equal consideration and uptake of contributions).

Diversity
The breadth of expertise and perspectives appropriate to the policy question. This includes inter- and multi-disciplinarity expertise, the involvement of experts from the wider scientific community, including those who are not Fellows of academies, representation across career stages and gender, and wide geographical coverage, including from Widening countries.3 Together, these diversity characteristics can broaden the evidence base and reduce blind spots.

Inclusion
Effective participation — the set of practices, norms, and process design features that ensure diverse experts are actively enabled to contribute meaningfully and safely (Morris et al., 2021) and that differences are treated as an asset in deliberation — such as facilitation that enables fair participation and contributions, accessible materials, fair workload distribution, and decision processes that incorporate minority viewpoints.

What SAPEA has already achieved

This strategy builds on the genuine progress since SAPEA’s inception in 2016. The two previous strategies on diversity and inclusiveness (SAPEA, 2023) and on early and mid-career researchers (EMCR) involvement (SAPEA, 2024a) established concrete targets for Working Groups and guided systematic monitoring across five characteristics: inter- and multi-disciplinarity, involvement of experts from the wider scientific community, including those who are not Fellows of Academies, inclusion of EMCRs, gender balance, and wide geographical coverage. SAPEA also applies an intersectional lens to ensure these parameters are considered in combination (SAPEA, 2023).

The previous strategies defined the following EDI targets for the composition of Working Groups:

• At least 10% ECRs (up to seven years post-PhD), at least 30% MCRs (up to 19 years post-PhD), and at least 40% EMCRs combined; a 30% MCR target also applies to the medical and health sciences subset, for Working Groups requiring this expertise.
• No more than 60% of one gender overall, and within three subsets: late-career researchers (LCRs), experts in natural sciences, and experts in engineering and technology.
• At least 18% of members from Widening countries.

An in-depth analysis of SAPEA’s EDI performance in SAPEA Working Groups between 2016 and 2026 shows that some targets are being met, while others, introduced more recently, have not been met yet despite progress:

• MCR participation has reached 33.9%, exceeding the 30% target; ECR participation is at 6.6%, below the 10% target. Combined EMCR participation is at 40.5%, meeting the target of 40%.
• Gender balance has improved substantially: overall, women represent 40.5% of all Working Group members.
• Representation from Widening countries currently stands at 22.4%, exceeding the 18% target.4

Following a detailed intersectional analysis, additional targets were defined in 2024 for specific subsets of SAPEA Working Groups. As these targets are more recent, they have not yet been met:

• MCRs in the medical and health sciences subset stands at 7.7%, below the 30% target.
• Men represent 68% of LCRs, exceeding the 60% gender balance target.
• Men represent 63.5% of experts in natural sciences and 65.5% in engineering and technology, both exceeding the 60% gender balance target in these subsets.

Further progress was made in the following areas:

• Communications and outreach activities increasingly reflect EDI principles, with near gender parity achieved across events and podcast speaker panels.
• EDI considerations also inform expert selection for peer review and expert workshops.

Purpose of the strategy

The current strategy builds on and strengthens SAPEA’s existing EDI commitments, consolidating all commitments, including those from the previous strategy on EMCR involvement, into a single integrated framework. It introduces a clearer and more comprehensive definition of what EDI means for SAPEA’s work. This document should therefore be read as the main reference point for SAPEA’s EDI commitments, including those concerning EMCRs.

With this strategy, the focus shifts from representation and participation alone to embedding EDI principles in a systematic and meaningful way that goes beyond quantitative targets and supports inclusive participation. It also introduces a more structured approach to monitoring, together with an explicit plan for learning and continuous improvement over time.

The strategy covers all aspects of SAPEA’s scientific advisory work from Working Group composition and expert nomination to peer review, expert workshops, outreach and communications, ensuring that EDI principles are applied at every stage of the advisory process.

How the strategy was developed

This strategy was developed by a dedicated SAPEA Working Group of six members, each nominated by one of the six academy networks that constitute SAPEA, and chaired by YASAS. The process was designed to be evidence-based and grounded in both internal assessment and external perspectives, drawing on an internal in-depth analysis of SAPEA’s EDI performance between 2016 and 2026; a literature review on EDI in science advice conducted by Cardiff University; an expert workshop bringing together EDI experts; and desk research into EDI practices of selected science-policy mechanisms and organisations.5 It also took into account EDI-related issues raised during SAPEA’s 2023 stakeholder consultation as part of SAPEA strategic planning.

Strategic context

Where SAPEA stands on EDI: strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats

The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis underpins SAPEA’s EDI Strategy by grounding its objectives and commitments in evidence. Strengths and weaknesses reflect SAPEA’s internal EDI performance to date and directly inform the priorities set out in this strategy. Opportunities and threats outline the external context in which the strategy will be implemented, highlighting factors that may support or hinder its application and that implementing parties must actively account for in translating commitments into practice.

SAPEA’s strategic objectives on EDI

SAPEA commits to the following strategic objectives, which set out a clear and ambitious long-term vision for EDI. The five objectives are interconnected and mutually reinforcing:

• Objective 1: Building diverse and inclusive expertise, addresses who participates in SAPEA’s advisory processes.
• Objective 2: Making participation truly inclusive, introduces measures to promote meaningful engagement by all participants.
• Objective 3: Achieving diverse, accessible and inclusive communications and outreach, extends EDI principles to external engagement and communications.
• Objective 4: Strengthening EDI awareness and capacity across the broader advisory ecosystem, focuses on bolstering the wider ecosystem from which SAPEA draws its expertise.
• Objective 5: Building a robust monitoring and learning framework, provides the monitoring and learning infrastructure underpinning all other objectives.

SAPEA will implement these objectives in a phased way, prioritising areas of intervention where tangible progress can be achieved in the short term, while scaling efforts progressively in line with available resources, organisational capacity and learning over time. An implementation plan is set out in the strategy, distinguishing between immediate actions, medium-term milestones, and longer-term systemic changes.

Objective 1
Building diverse and inclusive expertise

Diversity in SAPEA’s advisory work, most prominently in the composition of its Working Groups, is a core quality requirement. In its Quality Guidelines, SAPEA emphasises that diversity is a key factor in helping to mitigate individual biases and in ensuring robust, high-quality scientific advice (SAPEA, 2023). SAPEA therefore strives to reflect diversity in its disciplinary coverage; the involvement of experts from the wider scientific community, including those who are not Fellows of academies; the inclusion of early- and mid-career researchers; gender balance; and wide geographical coverage, including Widening countries. SAPEA also takes into account the intersections between these characteristics, which is essential for identifying structural barriers to participation.

SAPEA has made real progress, with quantitative targets set out for several diversity characteristics. Yet the data reveal that diversity imbalances tend to originate upstream, at the nomination stage, before SAPEA’s selection process can address them. For instance, across all nominations received, women account for 32.4%, experts from Widening countries for 20%, and ECRs for 4.8%. The low number of ECRs is linked to the fact that only 5% of nominations currently come from young academies, which typically nominate a higher proportion of ECRs.

Addressing this requires working with nominating academies and the academy networks in SAPEA to broaden the diversity of the nominated experts and achieve more balanced representation. It also requires targeted support for certain groups of experts, including EMCRs, who face additional structural and institutional barriers when engaging in scientific advisory work. While the representation of EMCRs in SAPEA’s work has improved, sustaining and deepening this progress requires continuing and targeted action.

SAPEA recognises that diversity extends beyond the five diversity characteristics it monitors. Diversity also includes differences in problem-framing approaches, leadership and collaborative capacity and experience with interdisciplinary or policy work, all of which are essential for balanced and inclusive group dynamics and high-quality deliberation.

In addition, characteristics such as disability, migration background or socio-economic background, can also contribute to capturing a wider range of perspectives and experiences. However, SAPEA does not intend to collect such data systematically. In line with GDPR principles, including data minimisation, sensitive personal data will only be collected where there is a clear, defined and legitimate purpose for doing so. SAPEA nonetheless aims to enable the full and effective participation of all experts. To this end, participants will be given the opportunity to communicate any accessibility requirements or support needs confidentially.

This objective supports two tracks: ensuring balanced representation of expertise by broadening and diversifying the nominated experts and improving the selection process to reduce the risk of bias and avoid reliance on indicators that may be perceived as proxies for scientific quality, such as institutional affiliation, prominence in established expert networks, or informal judgments.

Goal

Building diverse and inclusive expertise across the full advisory cycle by widening the range of nominated experts and promoting a clear, criteria-based selection processes.

Key commitments and actions

• SAPEA will continue to apply and regularly review quantitative targets for Working Groups across all five diversity characteristics, and at their intersection. Balanced participation across these characteristics will also be promoted in additional SAPEA evidence review activities such as peer review and expert workshops.
• SAPEA will continue to apply an intersectional approach to diversity and monitor and assess intersections across EDI characteristics where data are available, to detect compounded barriers and inform corrective action.
• SAPEA will raise the Widening countries target from 18% to 23%, in line with the latest Eurostat data regarding European R&D personnel in the higher education sector based in Widening countries (Eurostat, 2026).
• SAPEA will communicate transparently its diversity criteria and targets across all EDI characteristics in its calls for expert nomination. The language will be inclusive and actively encouraging the nomination of candidates from underrepresented groups, including by stating this explicitly in the call. Calls for expert nomination will specify when global representation or non-EU expertise or additional diversity characteristics are sought, assessed on a topic-by-topic basis.
• Where nominations do not meet the diversity requirements, SAPEA will share feedback with nominating academies, outlining the diversity targets and offering support on how to strengthen diversity in future nominations.
• SAPEA will improve its selection processes based on clear, structured and transparent criteria. SAPEA may explore tools and approaches that help reduce the risk of bias and ensure that no qualified candidates are overlooked. Selection decisions will be internally documented to ensure consistent and traceable decision-making.
• SAPEA is committed to fostering an inclusive environment in which all experts can fully and effectively participate. Participants will therefore be given the opportunity to communicate any accessibility requirements or support needs confidentially. SAPEA will seek to provide reasonable accommodations and accessible meeting formats, where needed and feasible, to remove barriers to participation and support inclusion.
• SAPEA, in strong collaboration with YASAS, will encourage and support young academies to submit more nominations and to broaden the range of experts they put forward, including by considering their alumni and wider network.
• SAPEA will develop annual webinars or other suitable formats to support academies in making informed nomination and selection decisions. These sessions will raise awareness of the types of expertise and diversity criteria SAPEA is seeking, provide a space to share experiences and good practices, and offer an open forum for questions.

Intended outcomes

• Nominated experts are more diverse across all five diversity characteristics, with particular improvements in the representation of women, Widening country experts, and ECRs.
• Selection processes are more structured, transparent, and consistently applied.
• Nominating academies are better informed about SAPEA’s diversity criteria and targets leading to more inclusive and wider nominations.
• Diversity in participation extends beyond Working Groups to all forms of contribution, including expert workshops and peer review.

Metric of success

• Diversity of nominated experts, tracked across all five characteristics.
• Diversity of Working Group composition, tracked against quantitative targets and across all five characteristics.
• Diversity of participation in expert workshops and peer review, tracked across all five characteristics.
• Percentage of young academy nominations out of total nominations received.
• Number of calls for expert nomination clearly stating diversity criteria and targets as well as encouraging the nomination of candidates from underrepresented groups (target: all calls).
• Number of instances where feedback was provided to nominating academies.
• Number of webinars organised on SAPEA’s nomination and selection procedures; number of participating academies; number of participants.

Responsible party

SAPEA staff, especially lead Scientific Policy Officer (SPO) (overall coordination, calls for expert nomination, monitoring, assessment and feedback to academies); Selection Committee (structured selection and EDI integration); YASAS (EMCR engagement and young academy nominations); SAPEA Board (oversight).

Objective 2
Making participation truly inclusive

Power dynamics are often implicit and can operate through seniority, disciplinary hierarchies, academy membership, and institutional familiarity, among others. These imbalances may appear at the structural level (selection processes, seniority hierarchies, disciplinary prestige, and unpaid or unrecognised labour), but also at the interactional level (meeting norms, language use, confidence, and speaking patterns) and the institutional level (agenda-setting authority, framing, authorship, and decision-making). Because these dynamics are often normalised and less visible, even diverse groups may struggle to participate on equal terms.

Ensuring representation across the full advisory work is necessary but not sufficient. SAPEA’s data show notable progress against quantitative targets, but there is limited insight into how inclusion is experienced in practice, particularly in relation to power dynamics and participants’ lived experiences.

SAPEA defines inclusion as a set of practices, norms, and process design features that actively enable all Working Group members and additional experts to participate meaningfully and safely. Inclusion does not automatically follow from representation: it must be designed, facilitated and monitored. This objective will therefore be implemented in conjunction with the monitoring framework set out in Objective 5, which will also be key for gaining insight into group dynamics and inclusion in practice.

This objective covers both structural measures needed to support inclusion, namely shared principles of engagement, and practical support for Working Group chairs, who play a central role in upholding these principles and facilitating group work. Thoughtful facilitation is critical to inclusive participation, ensuring that all members are ‘seen, heard and acknowledged’ through well-balanced group dynamics and inclusive deliberation.

Goal

Making participation truly inclusive to ensure that diverse expertise translates into meaningful contributions, with all experts involved in the SAPEA work being heard, respected and able to contribute on equal terms. SAPEA’s outputs are shaped by the wide range of perspectives available around the table.

Key commitments and actions

• SAPEA will follow the set of shared principles of engagement applicable to Working Groups and all advisory, communications and outreach activities, covering principles such as respect for all participants, attentiveness to power dynamics, psychological safety, equitable speaking opportunities, and transparency about dissenting views. These principles will be introduced at inception meetings, embedded in Working Group information, upheld by Working Group chairs, and embedded in SAPEA workshops and conferences. These principles are included below.
• SAPEA will develop short, practical facilitation guidance for its Working Group chairs to support more inclusive and effective deliberation. The guide offers a range of approaches for creating space for diverse contributions, without being prescriptive about how chairs run their groups.
• SAPEA will ensure that multiple pathways are offered for expert contributions alongside group discussions, including written input before and after meetings and small-group work, adapted to the needs of each group, with the aim of broadening participation.

Intended outcomes

• All Working Group members have meaningful opportunities to contribute, regardless of discipline, academy Fellowship status (Fellow or non-Fellow), career stage, gender and geographical background.
• Power imbalances within deliberation are recognised and mitigated, leading to more balanced and inclusive group dynamics.
• A wider range of voices and perspectives shape deliberations and outputs.

Metric of success

• Number of Working Groups in which principles of engagement were introduced at inception (target: all Working Groups).
• Number of Working Groups using alternative contribution pathway alongside group discussions.
• Feedback from Working Group members (see Objective 5 on monitoring).

Responsible party

SAPEA staff (development of facilitation guidance for chairs); lead SPO (communication of principles of engagement); Working Group chairs (facilitation, implementation and application of principles); SAPEA Board (oversight).

Principles of engagement

1. Respect all participants
   Treat all participants professionally and with respect, regardless of seniority, role, discipline, academy Fellowship status, institutional affiliation, career stage, gender, or geographical background.
2. Respect dissenting views
   Recognise disagreement as a normal and productive part of the scientific exchange and engage with dissenting views thoughtfully and without dismissal. Dissenting views on evidence, evidence-based conclusions and policy options are made transparent in the publication.
3. Critique ideas, not individuals
   Direct critique at evidence, methods and arguments, not at the individuals advancing them.
4. Listen attentively
   Give all speakers full attention, avoid interruption and allow time for reflection before responding
5. Create conditions for inclusive participation
   Foster a working environment in which participants from different disciplines, career stages, gender, geographical backgrounds and communication styles feel welcome and able to contribute to discussion and deliberation in ways that suit them. This includes being attentive to how seniority, disciplinary norms, institutional status, language fluency or confidence may shape participation, and taking shared responsibility for creating inclusive discussion.
6. Be open to revision
   Treat feedback and critique as part of the scholarly process and remain open to revision in light of new arguments, evidence or data.
7. Respect confidentiality
   Respect the confidentiality of unpublished work, preliminary findings and personal remarks informally shared.
8. Acknowledge contributions
   Attribute ideas and contributions accurately, including in informal settings.
9. Address issues constructively
   Raise concerns directly, respectfully and in good faith, at the earliest appropriate opportunity.
10. Focus on shared inquiry
    Keep collective understanding as the primary purpose of discussion, above the defence of positions or the outcome of individual arguments. This means contributing to an environment in which participants feel able to ask questions, express uncertainty, offer challenge and share perspectives without fear of dismissal or professional disadvantage.

Objective 3
Achieving diverse, accessible and inclusive communications and outreach

Communications and outreach shape whose expertise is amplified, who is reached, and how the work is perceived by the audience, including across the broader science-policy ecosystem. Meeting EDI principles in this area requires communication activities that are inclusive in both reach and representation.

While SAM’s6 scientific advice informs EU policymakers, the scientific community, and the wider public, its work also addresses issues relevant at local, national, and global levels. Communications activities aim to disseminate and promote this work, raise awareness of the importance of science advice for policy, and engage target audiences including policymakers, the scientific community, the scientific advice community, and citizens. While SAM cannot control who engages with its content, it can shape how and to whom it communicates, as well as whose voices are centred in its events, publications and outreach activities.

An internal communications data analysis conducted for this strategy reveals encouraging foundations for more inclusive communications. SAM already achieves near gender parity across event, webinar and podcast speakers and reaches a broad community including many early-career professionals through its digital channels. Building on these strengths, the analysis identifies clear opportunities: broadening geographical representation and career stage of speakers beyond Western and Northern Europe,7 converting online reach into active participation, particularly among early-career followers, who represent a relatively high share of the LinkedIn audience, improving accessibility of digital content, and broadening website traffic beyond English-speaking and Western European audiences. These opportunities provide a clear basis for targeted, continuous improvement.

This objective addresses three dimensions: the diversity of voices and perspectives represented in communications activities; the accessibility of key digital content; and the monitoring of communications reach from an EDI perspective. These are the elements that are tracked and actively managed as part of the existing SAM Communications Strategy and reported on through communications periodic reporting.

Goal

Achieving diverse, accessible and inclusive communications and outreach by embedding EDI and the principles of engagement consistently across SAM’s communications activities and ensuring greater speaker diversity, broader and more representative audience reach, and accessible formats and language, underpinned by consistent monitoring.

Key commitments and actions

• The SAM communications team will seek to ensure diversity in speakers and contributors for events, webinars, podcasts and other public-facing events across the five diversity criteria: disciplinary coverage, academy Fellowship status (Fellow or non-Fellow), career stage, gender, and geographical background, while seeking to amplify less visible and underrepresented voices and perspectives. As a baseline, SAPEA will not host or co-host panels composed entirely of one gender.
• The SAM communications team will improve the accessibility of key digital content, including by ensuring English captions and subtitles on new video content and podcast episodes are consistently available and accurate.
• The SAM communications team will ensure its communications are accessible and understandable to a broad audience, using clear and plain language, avoiding unnecessary jargon, and explaining technical concepts where needed.
• The SAM communications team will continue to monitor and report on EDI indicators as part of its periodic communications reporting. The results should also be reflected in the monitoring and reporting framework of the current EDI strategy as part of Objective 5. This reporting will provide the evidence base for continuous improvement and for identifying good EDI practices applicable across SAM communications.

Intended outcomes

• Balance in terms of disciplinary coverage, academy Fellowship status (Fellow or non-Fellow), career stage, gender, and geographical background, including Widening countries, is actively sought in the selection of speakers and contributors across SAM communications activities.
• Key digital content is more accessible through systematic captioning and subtitling of new video content and podcast.
• More accessible communications fit for a broader, non-specialist audience.
• EDI performance in communications is consistently reported and provides a basis for continuous improvement.

Metric of success

• Diversity of speakers, contributors and audiences at SAM (including SAPEA) events, webinars and podcasts.
• Number of podcast episodes and video content for which transcripts or captions are available.
• EDI-related communications indicators and data are collected to support the periodic communication reports and the current strategy monitoring and reporting framework as set out in Objective 5.

Responsible party

SAM communications team (implementation across all communications activities, monitoring and reporting).

Objective 4
Strengthening EDI awareness and capacity across the broader advisory ecosystem

SAPEA’s commitment to EDI extends beyond its own procedures and activities. As a science-for-policy consortium operating within a broader European ecosystem of academies, academy networks and research institutions, SAPEA recognises that many of the factors influencing its EDI performance, including the diversity of expertise within European academic institutions, the membership base and the nomination practices of the academy networks and its member academies, originate outside its immediate sphere of influence.

Persistent inequalities remain across the European scientific community. Women continue to be underrepresented in professorship (30%) (European Commission, 2025) and in the membership of academies (19%) (International Science Council et al., 2026). Opportunities to participate in international scientific networks and science-for-policy activities vary across countries and regions. EMCRs often face additional barriers to visibility, networking and engagement in advisory processes. These structural factors influence who is visible, who is nominated for advisory activities, and ultimately who contributes to science advice activities such as SAPEA.

As SAPEA relies on nominations from academies and academy networks that are embedded in the scientific community, EDI developments within the scientific community have a direct impact on SAPEA. Approximately 40% of nominations received by SAPEA originate from academies, while around 60% come from the academy networks associated with SAPEA. SAPEA therefore has a strong interest in supporting an advisory ecosystem that is aware of EDI challenges and equipped to address them.

A 2024 SAPEA survey of European academies (SAPEA, 2024b) demonstrated both progress and opportunities for further development. It found that nearly 40% have a formal diversity and inclusion policy, while about 60% do not, though some of these reported taking steps to raise awareness and implement related measures. Existing approaches vary considerably in scope and maturity, suggesting significant potential for exchange of experience and mutual learning.

SAPEA can neither resolve structural inequalities in the research system nor determine the policies of individual academies. It can, however, contribute to strengthening awareness, facilitating the exchange of good practices and supporting capacity building across the science-for-policy ecosystem. Through its collaboration with YASAS, SAPEA can also help strengthen pathways for EMCR engagement and support the development of future generations of science advisors.

This objective therefore focuses on enabling change beyond SAPEA itself by raising awareness and supporting knowledge exchange on EDI practice; and strengthening capacity building within the wider science-for-policy ecosystem.

Goal

Strengthening EDI awareness, knowledge and organisational capacity across the European science-for-policy ecosystem, supporting academies, academy networks and EMCR communities to contribute to more inclusive science advice practices.

Key commitments and actions

• SAPEA will communicate its EDI objectives to the academy networks and their member academies. It will also encourage academies to apply inclusive nomination procedures, clearly communicating diversity criteria and targets to support them in making broad and diverse nominations.
• SAPEA will include EDI-related questions in its regular survey of European academies, with the aim to improve understanding of developments across the academy landscape. The resulting report about the landscape of academies will include examples of effective practices that support broader participation across career stages, gender, and geographical backgrounds.
• SAPEA will organise workshops, webinars, or peer-learning sessions focused on EDI in academies and in science advice, providing a platform for sharing good practices and strengthening alignment between SAPEA and the academies.
• SAPEA will issue formal acknowledgments and certificates of participation to members of Working Groups and to experts contributing to expert workshops and peer review, whenever needed and requested, to facilitate the recognition and valorisation of experts’ contribution to science advice.
• YASAS will strengthen its role as a platform for exchange of knowledge and good practice on science-for-policy activities among young academies and EMCRs, including through networking events, webinar series, and communications activities.
• YASAS will continue to expand its network of young academies and associated members.8 This will contribute to broadening the reach of SAPEA’s expert identification across the EMCR community.
• SAPEA and YASAS will explore, as a longer-term ambition, the development of mentorship, networking and capacity-building initiatives connecting EMCRs with experienced science advisors and policymakers.

Intended outcomes

• Greater awareness and understanding of EDI challenges and opportunities within academies and academy networks.
• Increased exchange of knowledge, experiences and good practices on EDI across the European science-for-policy ecosystem.
• Stronger organisational capacity among academies and partner organisations to consider EDI in their own activities, procedures and nominations to SAPEA.
• More active and connected networks of young academies and EMCR communities across Europe.
• Enhanced opportunities for EMCR engagement, learning and professional development within science-for-policy, and better recognition.

Metric of success

• Number of EDI-centred exchanges or peer-learning activities organised with and for academies.
• Percentage of academies reporting EDI practices (landscape indicator, not a SAPEA performance target).
• Participation levels in EDI-related events and capacity-building activities.
• Number of young academies and associated member organisations in YASAS.
• Number of EMCR networking or capacity-building activities organised by YASAS.
• Number of certificates of participation issued.

Responsible party

SAPEA staff (academy engagement, awareness-raising activities, survey development, report writing and communicating); YASAS (EMCR network expansion, capacity building, and peer-learning activities); SAPEA and YASAS Board, where appropriate (oversight).

Objective 5
Building a robust monitoring
and learning framework

Implementing EDI principles and commitments requires ongoing monitoring, assessment and adjustment. Effective monitoring is essential not only to assess progress and detect gaps and structural issues, but to generate the knowledge needed to improve practice over time, including in relation to participation and inclusion.

Current monitoring focuses primarily on composition, namely who is included across the five diversity characteristics. This provides evidence about presence, but not whether individuals are meaningfully contributing to deliberations or shaping final outputs. SAPEA’s monitoring will therefore move beyond counting presence with the following three-layer framework distinguishing between: presence (who is in the room), participation (who speaks and contributes), and inclusion (whose contributions shape outputs and decisions), as appropriate.

However, monitoring participation and inclusion is more challenging than tracking composition. SAPEA will therefore take a phased and evidence-based approach, beginning with light-touch qualitative methods, building the evidence base for what works and developing more fit-for-purpose approaches over time.

All data collection will follow GDPR data protection principles, and the data minimisation principle: data will only be collected where there is a clear, defined and legitimate purpose for its use. All sensitive personal data will be handled with appropriate safeguards, and, where appropriate, collected on an opt-in basis with explicit consent and full transparency about purpose, use and retention.

Goal

To build an effective and responsible monitoring framework to track progress and to generate the knowledge needed to support learning, accountability, and continuous improvement across all EDI objectives.

Key commitments and actions

• SAPEA will develop a methodology for qualitative EDI observation within Working Groups, drawing on existing literature and expert consultations. The longer-term ambition is to involve a dedicated EDI observer, a role requiring relevant professional background, training and additional resources, to support qualitative monitoring and to advise on diversity considerations in nomination and selection processes.
• As a first step towards a more structured qualitative monitoring, SAPEA will introduce short reflective moments, such as post-meeting surveys, at key stages of the advisory cycle (e.g., mid-term and final review). This will help gather evidence on Working Group dynamics and inclusion, and will be used internally to identify patterns, learn from this practice and inform improvements in SAPEA over time.
• SAPEA will pay particular attention to qualitative feedback from EMCRs and other underrepresented groups, using these insights to support continuous learning and refinement of its approach to facilitate participation and contributions from underrepresented groups.
• SAPEA will seek where feasible and appropriate, to rely more on voluntarily provided and self-reported information rather than on assumptions based on names, CVs, photographs, institutional affiliation, or other indirect sources. SAPEA recognises that this is a gradual process that can support improvement in the quality, transparency, and consistency of diversity-related data over time, while respecting privacy, consent, and the voluntary nature of participation.
• SAPEA will ensure all data collection and processing complies with GDPR requirements on lawfulness, data minimisation, confidentiality, and secure storage. Where appropriate, data collection will follow an opt-in approach, with explicit consent, a “prefer not to answer” option for all sensitive questions, and clear communication of the purpose, use, and retention of data collected. Where feasible, diversity-related data will be collected at the nomination stage, including through online nomination forms with self-declaration fields, which will be explored as a tool to support both the nomination process and data collection.
• SAPEA will systematically monitor the inclusion of EDI principles in communication and outreach activities as defined in Objective 3.
• SAPEA, with YASAS in the lead, will produce an internal EDI analysis in early 2028, to review implementation progress and inform a potential revision of the strategy.9

Intended outcomes

• A clearer and more comprehensive picture of diversity and inclusion across SAPEA’s advisory work, going beyond composition to capture participation and inclusion.
• Monitoring findings are systematically used to learn, adapt and improve EDI practice across all objectives over time.
• SAPEA’s approach to data collection is responsible and GDPR-compliant.
• Progress against EDI commitments is monitored and reported, with findings informing future revision of the strategy.

Metric of success

• Number of Working Groups for which diversity data is collected and reported for all five diversity characteristics (target: all Working Groups)
• Number of Working Groups in which reflective review moments are conducted at key stages of the advisory process.
• Methodology for EDI observation developed.
• EDI performance data collected and analysed to inform the strategy revision in 2028.

Responsible party

SAPEA staff (survey development, application and assessment, data collection, EDI observation methodology, and reporting); SAPEA Board (oversight).

Governance and accountability

The implementation of this strategy rests with SAPEA staff, which will implement actions across objectives, track progress and report to the SAPEA Board. Operational responsibility is distributed across the relevant parties as set out under each strategic objective. The SAPEA Board has oversight responsibility, including review of progress updates and approval of any significant revisions to the strategy.

SAPEA will continue to work with the EDI Working Group and Task Force, led by YASAS, to ensure coherence across objectives, support implementation, and support monitoring and reporting.

Progress on this strategy will be reported to the SAPEA Board on a regular basis. Beginning in early 2028, YASAS will lead a review of the strategy’s implementation to inform its revision.

Implementation plan and timeline

SAPEA will implement its EDI commitments in a phased manner, prioritising actions that can be introduced immediately while building capacity for more complex and resource-intensive measures over time. The implementation plan distinguishes three phases:

Year one (immediate actions)

• Continue to apply existing quantitative targets and review progress.
• Introduce shared EDI principles of engagement in Working Groups and all advisory, communications and outreach activities.
• Update Widening countries target to 23%.
• Review calls for expert nomination language to ensure diversity criteria and targets are clearly communicated.
• Track record selection process for internal purposes.
• Introduce review reflective moments (e.g. post-meeting surveys) at specific moments of the Working Group process to capture timely insights on group dynamics.
• Embed EDI criteria and targets in communications and outreach activities, including
  event speakers, contributors, and ensure accessible formats.
• Improve the accessibility of key digital content through subtitles and captions.
• Integrate EDI-related indicators into communications reporting.
• Organise first peer-learning session or webinar on EDI with academies.
• Organise first webinar for academies on SAPEA nomination and selection procedures.
• Ensure all data collection follows GDPR requirements.
• Continue issuing formal acknowledgements and certificates of participation to Working Group members, expert workshop contributors, and peer reviewers on request.
• Continue to provide structured feedback to nominating academies.

Year two (medium-term)

• Explore various tools and approaches for more structured, criteria-based selection processes.
• Develop short, easy-to-use facilitation guidance for Working Group chairs.
• Develop qualitative EDI observation methodology for Working Groups and expert workshops.
• Explore to what extent online tools including nomination forms with self-declaration fields may support the nomination process and data collection.
• Assess the feasibility of a mentorship programme in collaboration with YASAS.

Years three to five (long-term)

• Pilot an EDI observation methodology for Working Groups and expert workshops.
• Ensure the SAPEA survey to academies continues to include an EDI component.
• Conduct internal EDI analysis in early 2028 to review implementation progress and inform strategy revision.

Conclusions

In conclusion, SAPEA recognises that advancing EDI is a continuous process rather than a fixed endpoint. EDI in science advice is a developing field, and the evidence base for what works, particularly in relation to inclusion and group dynamics, is still emerging. SAPEA approaches this strategy as a structured and learning-oriented process: implementing commitments, monitoring results, and refining the approach over time. Progress will require openness to learning, regular evaluation, collaboration across the wider advisory ecosystem, and responsiveness to emerging challenges and evidence. The strategy is designed to evolve and will be reviewed and updated as evidence and experience accumulate.

References

European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. (2021). Horizon Europe, pillar I – Excellent science: Driving scientific excellence and supporting the EU’s position as a world leader in science. Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/456952

European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. (2025). She figures 2024 – Gender in research and innovation: Statistics and indicators. Publications Office of the European Union. https://op.europa.eu/s/Ajc9

European Commission. (2026, May 8). Equality and inclusion: Key actions. https://commission.europa.eu/topics/justice-and-fundamental-rights/equality-and-inclusion_en

Eurostat. (2026). R&D personnel by sector of performance, professional position and sex [Data set]. https://doi.org/10.2908/rd_p_persocc

International Science Council, InterAcademy Partnership, & Standing Committee for Gender Equality in Science. (2026, February). Towards gender equality in scientific organizations: Assessment and recommendations. https://doi.org/10.24948/2026.03

Morris, S., et al. (2021). Surfacing equity, diversity, and inclusion within academic-policy engagement. Universities Policy Engagement Network. https://upen.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Surfacing-Equity-Diversity-and-Inclusion-within-Academic%E2%80%91Policy-Engagement.pdf

SAPEA. (2023). Quality assurance guidelines and procedures on science advice for policy and society. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8329539

SAPEA. (2024a). European academies: Overview and summary of the academy survey. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13950893

SAPEA. (2024b). Strategy to increase the involvement of early- and mid-career researchers in SAPEA. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14592517

Annexes

Annex 1: Acknowledgements

EDI Working Group

• Jennifer McMahon (Chair), Head of the Department of Psychology at University of Limerick, Ireland, and Young Academies Science Advice Structure (YASAS) Executive Board member
• Anna Fabijańska, Professor of Engineering and Technical Sciences, Lodz University of Technology, Poland, and Representative to the European Council of Academies of Applied Sciences, Technologies and Engineering (Euro-CASE) Board
• Ranieri Guerra, Director, International Affairs, Accademia Nazionale di Medicina, Italy, and Vice-President of the Federation of European Academies of Medicine (FEAM)
• Hani Harb, Assistant Professor, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Virology, Technical University Dresden, Germany, and member of All European Academies (ALLEA) EDI Task Force
• Mirko Orlić, Professor of Geophysics, University of Zagreb, Croatia, and Vice-President of European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC)
• Katalin Solymosi, Associate Professor, Department of Plant Anatomy, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary, and Vice Academic Director of the Academia Europaea Budapest Knowledge Hub

SAPEA Task Force

• Anda Popovici (Lead SPO, YASAS)
• Guna Dauvarte (SPO, FEAM)
• Louise Edwards (SPO, Academia Europaea)
• Mariana Rei (SPO, Euro-CASE)
• Frederico Rocha (SPO, EASAC)
• Sara Saba (SPO, ALLEA)
• Carly Seedall (SPO, Academia Europaea)
• Céline Tschirhart (SPO, ALLEA)
• Ali Woodhouse (SPO, Academia Europaea)
• Rudolf Hielscher (SAPEA Manager)
• Simon Schneider (SAPEA Coordinator)
• Lionel Dutrieux (Digital Communications Manager)
• Alaa Jbour (Head of Communications)
• Justine Moynat (Communications Manager)

YASAS Executive Board

• Noel de Miranda (President) Professor of Translational Oncology at Leiden University, Netherlands, and member of the SAPEA Board
• Jovana V. Milić, Professor of Materials Chemistry at the University of Turku, Finland
• Markus J. Prutsch, Head of Unit at the European Parliament and Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at Heidelberg University, Germany (until May 2026)
• Jeroen Van Schependom, Associate Professor of NeuroEngineering at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
• Jaak Sikk, Associate Professor and Head of Department of General Studies, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia (since May 2026)

Invited experts at EDI expert workshop

• Inga Beck, Coordinator of Action Group on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Germany
• Sadiq Bhanbhro, Senior Research Fellow and Social Scientist at Sheffield Hallam University, UK
• Rubie Clarke, Senior Director of Consultancy at Fearless Futures, UK
• Carina Geldhauser, Senior Scientist at ETH Zurich, Switzerland
• Ermira Fida, Deputy Executive Secretary, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Switzerland
• Anna M. Górska, Assistant Professor at Kozminski University and Head of the Research Center for Women and Diversity in Organizations, Poland
• Liudvika Leišytė, Professor of Higher Education, Deputy Director of the Center of Higher Education, Department of Business and Economics, TU Dortmund University, Germany
• Marcela Linková, Head of the Centre for Gender and Science, Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
• Helma Lutz, Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies, Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany
• Mustafa F. Özbilgin, Associate Dean (EDI) and Chair in Organisational Behaviour, Brunel Business School, London, UK
• Rasma Pīpiķe, Researcher, Riga Technical University, Latvia
• Rima-Maria Rahal, Researcher, Institute of Cognition and Behavior, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria
• Mona Simion, Professor of Philosophy and Michael Cohen Fellow of Exeter College at the University of Oxford, UK

Reviewers

• Sadiq Bhanbhro
• Marcela Linková
• Mustafa F. Özbilgin
• Rima-Maria Rahal

Proofreader

• Portia Sale

Meeting host

• The Young Academy of Belgium

Annex 2: Declaration on the use of AI

This declaration covers the use of AI tools by SAPEA staff members. The principles of personal responsibility and accountability, human review and control over content and compliance with GDPR, copyright and intellectual property rules, were applied when using AI tools. The Guidelines and procedures for the Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Scientific Advice Mechanism were not yet in place during the development of this strategy or during the activities of the SAPEA EDI Working Group.

The following AI tools were used during the drafting process: Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT and Claude. These tools were used as editorial/support tools to support text refinement, analysis and suggestions for improvement, as well as proofreading. In some cases, AI tools were also used to support searches and identify information relevant to the topics addressed in the document.

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1. 1 SAPEA Grant Agreement defines the following third core objective: To ensure wide geographical and gender diversity, coverage of all relevant academic fields and interdisciplinarity in the process as well as an open and inclusive approach to involve experts who are not Academy Fellows, and early/mid-career and senior researchers of various, relevant backgrounds to increase the range of the available scientific evidence to be considered and the excellence of the expertise provided.

2. 2SAPEA’s equality commitments consider applicable EU non-discrimination legislation such as Directive 2000/43/EC on equal treatment.

3. 3This refers to the 15 EU Member States — Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia — eligible for targeted support under the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme due to their lower research and innovation performance.

4. 4 The 18% target was defined before Brexit. Following Brexit, the share of researchers in Widening countries increased as a statistical effect because it is now measured against the smaller EU-27 research population rather than the former EU-28 population.

5. 5 These are the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the International Public Policy Association (IPPA), the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), Science Europe, and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

6. 6 As part of the Scientific Advisory Mechanism (SAM), SAPEA communicates jointly under the SAM brand. For the purposes of this objective, SAM is used as the operative term to refer to communications activities delivered under that brand, which includes SAPEA-led communications.

7. 7 Webinar panels are 65% senior and only 5% from Widening countries, while podcast guests from Widening countries account for around 9% of the total, with many — including Croatia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Baltic states — sparsely represented or absent, and the largest cohorts coming from the UK, Germany, and the US.

8. 8 The associated membership category enables organisations representing EMCRs that are not young academies to benefit from YASAS outreach activities and nomination procedures.

9. 9 As per the SAPEA Grant Agreement.