SET-Routes is a pan-European network of women scientists from PhD students to institute directors, working in some of the most challenging areas of science: bioinformatics, particle physics, space science, robotics and molecular medicine. Our goal is to awaken young girls' interest in science and to encourage young women graduates to pursue careers in science, engineering and technology – SET.
The SET-Routes project was funded by the European Commission under FP6 from November 2006 to April 2009.
The programme aimed at tackling the under-representation of women in science by challenging old and outdated perceptions about the "typical scientist" and making traditionally male-dominated fields of study more attractive to women.
SET-Routes combined four initiatives:
- The Way Forward – An international Women in Science Conference
- The School Ambassador Programme
- The University Ambassador Programme
- The Insight Lectures
The project was a unique collaboration between three of Europe's top intergovernmental research organisations, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Europe's flagship laboratory for molecular biology; the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), which promotes excellence in the life sciences; and the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), one of the world's most prestigious research centres.