Research funding organizations increasingly steer researchers to integrate certain perspectives into the content of their research. Little is known, however, about the mechanisms by which these policies are operationalized. This study addresses a popular measure relied upon by research funding organizations to increase the integration of the sex and gender perspectives into the content of research - namely persuasion. An analysis of the rhetoric employed by the European Commission – aimed at Horizon Europe grant applicants – uncovers a variety of persuasion techniques, including appeals to reason (logos), character (ethos) and emotion (pathos). The paper discusses different challenges in assessing the workings and efficacy of this type of implementation measure.