The scope of this report is on the revealing of gender practices in the construction of academic excellence in recruitment and selection procedures. Core questions for this report are whether the criteria that have been used .play out differently or similarly for male and female candidates, and how constructions of excellence are connected to the reproduction of inequalities in the research system. The construction of excellence is particularly salient for those workers who hold precarious positions, as the label of excellence is the key to their inclusion or exclusion in academia and research. This report presents a comparative analysis across GARCIA beneficiaries in Switzerland, Italy, Iceland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Slovenia. The analysis is based on national research reports from these countries.