This annual prize, launched in 2022, is the European Commission's initiative to recognise and celebrate the outstanding results achieved by European academic and research organisations through the implementation of Gender Equality Plans. Why this prize The “EU Award for Gender Equality Champions” is a recognition prize scheme meant as a booster and complement of the requirement to have in place a Gender Equality Plan, and a tool for advancing inclusive gender equality plans and policies in the framework of the new European Research Area Policy Agenda. The Award is also an enabler for the transformation agenda for universities set forth in the new ERA, in synergy with the European Education Area (EEA) and the European Higher Education Area (EHEA, Bologna process), and in line with the new Communication on a European Strategy for Universities adopted on 18 January 2022. The EU Award for Gender Equality Champions aims to: complement and boost the eligibility criterion requirement for higher education and research organisations applying to Horizon Europe to have in place a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) incentivize gender equality plans and policies within the new European Research Area (ERA) policy agenda support the transformation agenda for universities set in the new...