3. Universities
5. Spain
7. Grass Ceiling

Grass Ceiling

About

GRASS CEILING (Gender Equality in Rural and Agricultural Innovation Systems) is a Horizon Europe–funded research and innovation project that works to advance gender equality in agriculture, rural economies, and rural communities across Europe. Bringing together 29 partner organisations in nine countries, the project focuses on understanding and addressing the structural, cultural, and policy barriers that limit women’s participation and leadership in rural and agricultural innovation. At the core of GRASS CEILING is a multi-actor, gender-led approach that combines research, policy analysis, and real-world experimentation through Living Labs. These Living Labs support women innovators working on socio-ecological solutions, while generating evidence and tools to inform more gender-responsive agricultural and rural development policies at local, national, and European levels. The project contributes to key EU priorities, including the Gender Equality Strategy, the Green Deal, and the Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas. As part of its knowledge-sharing and outreach activities, GRASS CEILING offers a free online course (MOOC) designed to make the project’s insights accessible to a wider audience. The GRASS CEILING MOOC introduces learners to the intersections of gender, leadership, and innovation in rural contexts through expert lectures, real-life case studies, and inspiring stories from across Europe. Structured into five modules, the course provides practical ideas and tools that participants can apply in their work, studies, or communities to support more inclusive and sustainable rural development.

CIHEAM Zaragoza is situated on the Campus of Aula Dei, one of the agricultural science complexes with the greatest capacity and prestige in Spain. The group of institutions that constitute the Campus of Aula Dei brings together more than 700 professionals from the agrifood sector with numerous research facilities, experimental farms, communication networks and diverse services among which the libraries and documentation services are to be highlighted.

The Institutions on campus are the following:

Spanish National Research Council (CSIC):
- Experimental Station of Aula Dei (EEAD)
- Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE)
- Office of the Spanish Geological Survey (IGME) in Zaragoza
Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Food of the Government of Aragon:
- Agro-food Research and Technology Centre of Aragon (CITA)
- Plant Health and Certification Service
- Agro-environmental Laboratory
CIHEAM Zaragoza
FITA - Foundation for Innovation and Agro-food Transfer of Aragon

Some of the activities developed by CIHEAM Zaragoza are closely related with the research and experimentation programmes that are carried out in the different centres on campus.

Teaching Facilities

A suite of learning and working spaces are provided to support training activities at CIHEAM Zaragoza that include a lecture theatre seating 252 persons, three lecture rooms seating 60 persons in total, one with capacity for 90 persons, two computer rooms for 36 persons, and a meeting room for 28 persons, equipped with simultaneous interpretation and videoconference systems. Additionally, there is an amphitheatre-style seating area for over 50 persons and various flexible performance and workshop spaces, seminar rooms and multifunctional work and socializing areas.

The Library

CIHEAM Zaragoza offers a library with more than 16,000 books and manuscripts and over 500 journals related to the core themes dealt with in the training activities to support participants of all activities, facilitating access to documentation and bibliographical information related with the content of the training programmes.

Across campus there are other libraries and documentation centres offering numerous high-quality journals:

Library of the Estación Experimental de Aula Dei (CSIC)
Library of the Instituto Pirenaico (CSIC)
Library of the Agro-food Research and Technology Centre of Aragon (CITA)
The libraries of the other CIHEAM Institutes also offer online access to their holdings.
Library of the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari
Library of the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania
Library of the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Montpellier
CIHEAM SG Publications

Alongside traditional library services, CIHEAM Zaragoza also offers self-service facilities, working group rooms and study areas, and Wi-Fi throughout.