The Universitat de València has included a pioneer measure to promote gender equality within the research career through writing new terms in the research grants of the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics. This initiative intends to contribute to reducing gender inequality existing in one of the most masculinised areas of knowledge within the scientific field.

The measure arises out from the concern expressed by the directives of the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics given the difficulty to attract feminine talent towards research in this area of knowledge, as well as the institutional commitment to the equality of opportunities. As a result of the joint effort between the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, the Unit of Equality and Diversity, and the centre’s commission of equality, it was achieved to include a pioneer positive action in the call for research grants.

The call explicitly points out that a balanced participation between women and men in the first stages of the research career will be fostered and that it is addressed to students of the last year of the degrees in Physics or Mathematics, and of the first year of the Master’s Degree in Advanced Physics, with the itinerary of Astrophysics, setting one of the main approaches to this discipline.

Moreover, the call sets that, provided that the applicants meet the academic requirements, it will be guaranteed a balanced composition in the grant awarding. This way, none of the genders will exceed 60 % nor represent less than 40 % of the beneficiaries, according to the Organic Law 3/2007 for the effective equality between women and men.

This procedure is also based on the section 65 of the Organic Law of the University System (LOSU), which allows to set positive action measures to promote women’s access to areas where they are underrepresented.

According to the current data of the department, men represent approximately 80 % of the permanent staff, a situation that justifies the temporary application of these corrective measures, as long as the imbalance persists.

The initiative constitutes a good practice regarding equality and feminine scientific talent promotion, and may serve as a model for future calls in other areas of knowledge that are highly masculinised.

This action is in line with the institutional strategy of the Strategic Plan of the Universitat de València (2023-2026) and the 4th Gender Equality Plan (2024-2028), reinforcing its commitment to gender equality