As part of the University of Limerick Research Week 2022, Lero – the SFI Software Research Centre welcomes Prof Ita Richardson, Professor of Software Quality, former Director of Lero and Professor of Software Engineering Mike Hinchey, Eileen Trauth, Professor Emeritus of Information Sciences & Technology, and Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies, Pennsylvania State University and Dr Martina Prendergast, Lero’s International Funding Manager.

The session will describe the best practices that Lero has taken to ensure that gender is incorporated at all levels in the Centre’s activities, from research design to management and governance levels. The session will present the findings of a Lero report describing the differentiating factors that influence males and females when applying for research funding. Guidance in writing the gender element into EU research proposals will be given, followed by examples of Lero’s initiatives to increase the participation of females in STEM research across all education levels, which includes the WiSTEM2D programme, CODE Plus project and Athena Swan Bronze Award. The keynote talk will explore how and why societal, organisational and individual factors affecting gender equity in the IT field change over time.