Grant: Project Grant

For gender equity to be present among the health research community, we expect fairness in the distribution of benefits and responsibilities between women and men. However, women are less likely to be promoted, awarded grants, and receive lower salaries than men. Findings from gender equity studies, however, are often derived from a single organisation or only focus on a few issues. To fully understand whether gender inequity is present for researchers, we require a full review of all variables that may influence the career development and success of a researcher. We must also uncover and understand what strategies have already been tested to promote gender equity in the research setting. First, we will conduct a large scoping review to synthesise evidence about gender inequity in the academic health sector. We will supplement this with a national environmental scan and survey to determine the proportion of women and their intersections with Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities in health faculty leadership for Canada's research-intensive universities versus the student body and Canadian population. Our second scoping review will synthesise evidence on interventions to optimise gender equity and inform knowledge users about existing strategies targeted to individuals, organisations or systems used to promote gender equity. These reviews will be updated every 6 months so our knowledge users are always provided with the latest research findings available. Results will be particularly important for members of funding agencies, professional associations, academic institutions, gender and equity committees and researchers. Next, we will discuss the findings from the reviews with knowledge users and work with them to determine what area(s) require further exploration using an agreement-building approach. This exercise will inform future research projects on gender equity.