Professional scientific associations are in a strong position to ensure that gender is included in the human-research agenda (Nature 465, 665 and 688–690; 2010).

For example, the German Society of Epidemiology (DGEpi) has included gender considerations in its guidelines for more than ten years. It demands justification for any study that focuses on one sex if the results could potentially affect both sexes.

Gender will be taken into account in an important new German cohort study of multifactorial chronic diseases, including diabetes, cancer and dementia; this will follow 200,000 healthy participants recruited over the period 2012–16 (see http://go.nature.com/ah1Uew). Decision-making bodies associated with the study will have to ensure that female researchers are also appropriately represented. Another, nationally funded, initiative supports the integration of gender factors in all new research projects in medicine and epidemiology (see http://go.nature.com/nv2Fvo).

Germany's main epidemiology and public-health associations are endorsing both projects.