Lots of things about women in science

On September 21st, Broad Impacts was lucky enough to welcome Kathie Olsen, a former deputy director of the National Science Foundation, as she led a discussion with the group about the challenges faced by women in science. We heard some disappointing statistics regarding the number of women in top positions in science, talked about salary disparities, and members of the group shared stories of their personal experiences advancing in their careers. Throughout the discussion, we identified a number of things that we can do now to help women be successful in their scientific careers. Here are the points we came up with:

-Fight against unconscious bias. People of all genders can hold unconscious bias against women that may prevent them from suggesting women for awards, selecting them for open positions, awarding them tenure, etc. However, being aware of those personal biases allows those individuals to consciously reduce their own biased activities. Not only can we take note of our own biases and attempt to reduce them, we can also make our colleagues aware of their unconscious biases.
-Bring up issues of concern. If there is a policy or practice that selectively reduces the ability of women to succeed in science, bring it to the attention of others! Policies can be changed, but often only if there is a person or group of people willing to advocate for the change.
-Fight for equal salary. Women should be willing to negotiate for a salary that is fair based on the market and compared to others in that same position. Do your homework on what the appropriate salary is, and be prepared to ask for it.
-Be good at your job. Success takes hard work, and women who are good at their jobs (without worrying too much about the social aspects of their positions - whether they are liked by others, etc) are likely to be successful.
-Learn to say no. A few members of the group mentioned how important it is to prioritize in life so that a successful career is possible. Sometimes this means saying no to the little things (like making someone else do the dishes!).
-Be persistent and don't take it personally. Sometimes discrimination, or just plain bad luck, will keep women from reaching a goal. Always resubmit!
-Be optimistic - things are improving, and we are all helping to make things better. 

Futher reading:
>For those of you at the University of Minnesota, a recently distributed report found that male faculty are paid on average 2.2% higher than female faculty at the same level. Click here to read the report.
>Christine of the blog Just Another Electron Pusher has a short but sweet post about why women leave careers in science.
>An August report from the United States Commerce Department's Economics and Statistics Administration finds that women are underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields, and make less money than their male counterparts. Click here for the summary from Science magazine, and here for the full report.

Thank you to everyone who came to our discussion on women in science! Let's keep talking about these issues.

Family-Friendly Science

September 27, 2011

Just last month, researchers at Rice and Southern Methodist Universities released a study showing that female scientists were twice as likely as their male counterparts to regret not having more children. Further, these regrets were seen as prompting some female grad students and postdocs to consider leaving academic science.

On Monday, the National Science Foundation announced a series of new policies designed to make the agency's grant-making policies reflect support for those trying to balance parenthood with research careers. White House officials said that the goal of the effort was to promote change not only at the NSF, but throughout research universities, with the aim over 10 years of raising the percentage of tenure-track faculty in STEM fields who are women (about 28 percent) to their representation among new STEM Ph.D.s (about 40 percent).

John P. Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said at a news briefing that the policy changes will help both fathers and mothers, but that "it is much more common for women to give up STEM careers" than it is for men, and that the shifts are designed to prevent those departures.

Specifically, the NSF will:

* Allow postponement for one year of grants because of childbirth or adoption.

* Allow grant suspension for parental leave.

* Provide supplementary funds to cover the cost of hiring research technicians to maintain laboratories when grant recipients are on family leave.

* Permit those serving on peer review panels to meet with their colleagues virtually, rather than in person, to reduce child-care needs created by travel.

* Fund more research on the effectiveness of policies that are designed to keep women in the science pipeline.

At the same time, the White House announced a series of related efforts by non-governmental groups. The Association for Women in Science is starting a new campaign to bring representatives of government, industry and academe together to discuss ways that work places can promote training, re-entry and retraining of women for science jobs. The Association of American Universities and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities pledged to find ways to "promote more flexible work and learning environments for those in STEM and other disciplines."

Subra Suresh, director of the National Science Foundation, stressed that most of these efforts required policy changes, not new money. He said he hoped that these "seemingly simple" ideas would inspire universities to review their own policies and look for ways to assure "more flexible" career paths for academic scientists.

At the NSF, he said, many of the policies are based on the actions taken "in pockets of the foundation" that will now be official policy for the entire agency. The same expansion of good efforts is needed in universities, he said.

Elaine Ecklund, associate professor of sociology at Rice University, co-author of last month's study on science and parenthood, and author of several other studies of women and science, called Monday's announcement "huge news."

Ecklund said that a university may have enlightened policies such as, for example, allowing new parents to stop the tenure clock following the arrival of a new child. But an NSF grant recipient might be reluctant to take advantage of that policy if it would endanger a grant that might be key to a tenure bid. "University policies are one thing, but there are all these other pieces of the job of a scientist that are not covered by university policies," she said.

The NSF has enough prestige, she said, that she hopes all other funders will follow its lead, and that universities without good policies would adopt them as well.

Ecklund said she was particularly impressed with the decision of the NSF to allow additional funds to be used to hire technicians to keep labs running during family leaves. In many fields of science, "you may want to stop the clock, but you may be in a phase of the research where you can't stop, so this would keep things going."

— Scott Jaschik

AAAS Fellowship Applications

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

The 2012-2013 AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships online application system is now open. The deadline for applications is December 5, 2011, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Interested applicants are encouraged to start their application early and contact their references as soon as possible.

Please share this information with friends and colleagues who may also be interested in this opportunity.

Opportunities

Placement opportunities are available in congressional offices and 15 executive branch agencies. The five fellowship areas being offered from September 2012 through August 2013 are:

* Congressional

* Diplomacy, Security& Development

* Energy, Environment & Agriculture

* Health, Education & Human Services

* Roger Revelle Fellowship in Global Stewardship

Learn more about the five fellowship areas on the Fellowships website.

Eligibility

To be considered for a fellowship, all successful applicants must hold a doctoral level degree (PhD, MD, DVM, etc.), in any of the following:

* Social/Behavioral sciences

* Medical/Health disciplines

* Biological, Physical or Earth sciences

* Computational sciences and Mathematics

* Engineering disciplines (applicants with a masters degree in engineering and three or more years of post-degree professional experience also qualify).

All degree requirements must be completed by the application deadline. Visit our website to learn more about Fellowship eligibility requirements.

Benefits

Stipends range from approximately $74,000 to $99,000 (depending on years of experience and previous salary). Other benefits include health insurance, travel/training allowance and relocation allowance. For more information about benefits, visit the Fellowships website.

Details

To learn more about the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships, visit our website at http://fellowships.aaas.org. Please contact the Fellowships staff at fellowships@aaas.org or 202-326-6700 with questions.

Gordon Research Conference on Science & Technology Policy

Science and Technology Policy in Global Context

August 5-10, 2012

Waterville Valley Resort

Waterville Valley, NH

Chairs: Susan Cozzens & Jack Stilgoe

Vice Chair: Jennifer Kuzma

The global context for science and technology policies is changing quickly. Knowledge is flowing around the world ever more freely. International collaboration is growing in every field. Economies that have traditionally grown through innovation face new competition from rising economic powers. Intellectual property regimes are in flux and under attack. Scientists and engineers trained in Europe and North America are returning to their regions of origins more often. Science and technology are embroiled in global regulatory issues like the ground rules for nanotechnology and synthetic biology, renewable and nuclear energy, and access to essential medicines.

The 2012 Gordon Research Conference on Science and Technology Policy will delve deeply into this range of issues, asking how the questions and answers of science and technology policy need to change in response to international developments. The program will tap the best recent research on the global dimensions of research, innovation, human resource, and regulatory policies, as well as perspectives from S&T policy practitioners from around the world.

The 2012 GRC on Science and Technology Policy will also offer for the first time a Gordon Research Seminar organized along the theme of the symposium, which will be held immediately preceding the GRC on Science and Technology Policy. Junior investigators, such as students, postdocs, and trainees, are encouraged to attend.

Applications for this conference are due by July 8, 2012

For more information:

http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year=2012&program=scipolicy

Neuroscience & Public Policy

Susan Wolf and Steve Kelley from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs will be hosting a discussion about the interaction of neuroscience and public policy with the idea that there might be fertile ground for a full scale conference to explore the subject, possibly during the 2012-2013 academic year. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 18 from 11:00am-12:00pm. The meeting location is TBD.

A Discussion on Science Denialism (THIS Thursday 9/22/11)

VIP Access for Students: A Discussion with Michael Specter and Michael Osterholm on Science Denialism

3:30-4:15 p.m., Sept. 22, Mayo 3-125

Don't miss this unique opportunity to talk about the public health implications surrounding the growing mistrust among people around the world of science and its byproducts. Faculty and staff are asked to encourage students to attend.

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=216652125058578

Broad Impacts Fall Schedule!

Broad Impacts is ready for the new semester and raring to go!

We start our jam-packed Fall program with a very special guest. On Wednesday September 21st, Dr. Kathie Olsen, a former deputy director of the National Science Foundation, will give the Graduate Program in Neuroscience colloquium on "Understanding Science Policy" (12pm, 2-137 Jackson Hall). Then, at 3:30pm, she will lead a Broad Impacts discussion about the challenges faced by women in science, which will be held in MCB 2-120. Please join us to talk about this very important issue that affects all scientists! Happy hour will follow at Kitty Kat Club.

Here is the full Broad Impacts schedule. You will notice that all but the first session are on Thursday afternoons. Also, we have scheduled two "Policy and Pints" happy hours, which will be fun opportunities for the group to casually get together over drinks and talk current policy events.

>Wed Sept 21st, 3:30-5, MCB 2-120. Topic: Women in Science, led by Dr. Kathie Olsen
>Thurs Oct 6th, 3:30-5, Jackson Hall 6-135. Topic: Policy Implications of Do-It-Yourself Bioscience, led by Rachel Penrod
>Thurs Oct 20th, 5-7pm, Kitty Kat Club. Policy and Pints Happy Hour, led by Eric Miller
>Thurs Nov 3rd, 3:30-5, Jackson Hall 6-135. Topic: Scientific Misconduct, led by Dr. Melissa Anderson, Professor of Higher Education
>Thurs Nov 17th, 3:30-5, Jackson Hall 6-135. Topic TBD, led by Marian Rodriguez
>Thurs Dec 1st, 3:30-5, Jackson Hall 6-135. Topic: Ethics and Policies of Animal Research, led by Dr. Ben Clark, faculty liaison for IACUC
>Thurs Dec 15th, 5-7pm, Republic. Policy and Pints Happy Hour, led by Tess Kornfield

It's going to be a wonderful semester! We hope to see you there!