Women in science: Dr. Laura Frost, Professor
Progress and challenges University of Alberta
Appendix A. Syllabus for the course “Gender in education and professional life”
April 20, 2009-June 30, 2009
Laura S. Frost, Instructor
This course will investigate whether progress has been made in encouraging, recruiting and retaining women in science with an emphasis on the Austrian experience. Historically, women have been excluded from science with some important exceptions. What can we learn about success in science from these women and do we see them as role models or do we see ourselves as inadequate in comparison? More women are being hired by universities in science departments (medical, natural, social, political, engineering) but we have not reached the optimum gender balance in most subjects. Are women blocking their own chances for success or is society biased against women participating in science? Are women doing as well as men in attaining high scientific honours, promotion and power to influence science policy? Are these the correct measures of success? What are funding agencies doing to promote women in Austrian (other countries?) science? What can each student do to prepare for a career in science?
Dates for the lectures.
April 20, 22, 27, 29, May 6, 11, 18, 20, 25, 27, June 3, 8, 10.
LSF will be away May 13-17. June 15 will be the wrap-up or planned workshop. If there are scheduling difficulties we can discuss them on April 20.
Each lecture will be 120 minutes in length (Monday 9 - 11 am; Wednesday 16 -18 pm). Location is ZMB Humboldtstrasse 50.
1. Introduction to the course.
Introduction to the syllabus and requirements of the course.
Who are “women in science”?
Why should women consider a career in academic science?
We will discuss what this means and how we will define it for the course.
Who are the students in the course and what are their goals in taking the course? This is an opportunity to explore common ground and think about topics of interest.
My personal history and how I got to where I am today. What kind of science am I involved in?
2. Women in science: a historical overview.
There have been successful women scientists over the ages (Women in Science pdf).
What are the qualities needed to succeed?
Are women smart enough or are men inherently better intellectually?
Are there proportionally more women who are succeeding in science these days? Succeeding at the highest level?
What do Janet Rowley and Janet Thornton have in common?
What do Barbara Hohn, Joan Steitz and Noreen Murray have in common?
What has been Renee Schroeder’s experience?
How can we measure the progress of women in science? Nobel prizes, editors of top journals (Science, Nature, Cell, EMBO J, PNAS, others?), heads of institutes, other ideas?
Research the proportion of women in one of these or other areas and bring the data to class. (10%)
3. Societal pressures that affect women in science.
Define the problem for women in science today. (see reference 6 among others).
The debate about what holds women back has been framed by three main concepts from a psychological point of view:
-gender schemas-the way we perceive people and judge their character, performance
-gender discrimination-the outright denial of intelligence/competence based on sex
-sexual harassment-the use of “sex” to define power and limit progress
How do we recognize these and what can we/society do about them?
Women in academia: are low participation rates due to exclusion or preference?
-does it depend on the research area?
-are the career goals of women different then those of men?
4. Women in science and family: marriage, children, elder care.
Why does marriage and child bearing so negatively impact women in science?
Does society (universities, employers, granting agencies, award committees) do enough and if not how can they do more?
What are the benefits of staying in research as opposed to other science-related jobs?
What recommendations can you make to improve women’s careers in science? (General discussion).
5. Getting into science: graduate school and postdoctoral training.
How do you choose a supervisor?
The importance of a mentor.
What are reasonable goals in an MSc or PhD program?
-publication output
-time to completion
-developing expertise
Should you do both an MSc and PhD?
How do you find a postdoctoral position? What are your goals during your PDF?
Developing a successful CV (curriculum vitae). What should be in one?
-research, teaching dossier, service
What can you do outside the lab to further your career?
Bring your CV to class with the aim of improving it.
6. Success in academic science: getting the job.
Where do you look to find a job?
The application process.
-CV + Research and Teaching experience/objectives
-letters of reference: people who know you
-selection committee and short lists
-interview procedures: do’s and don’ts
-recruitment seminars: research and the pedagogical lecture
-interview with the recruitment committee
-the chalk talk
Negotiating the contract.
-salary
-space
-start-up: institutional and granting agencies
-child bearing policies? Spousal hiring programs?
-support for immigration costs/relocation expenses?
-support for graduate students
-technical support and fees
-teaching loads
-service commitments
The first three years. What are the keys to success and what are the pitfalls?
Work-life balance: is there such a thing?
Write a one page synopsis of your proposed research and teaching philosophy (real or imagined). (15%)
7. Success in academic science (part 2): tenure and promotion.
Publish or perish: how many publications are enough?
-the importance of impact factors and citations. What is an h index?
What factors influence decisions on tenure or promotion to professor?
-research productivity
-teaching excellence
-letters of reference: people who are at arm’s length
-involvement in the science community
-family commitments and productivity
-what other factors affect tenure and promotion?
Calculate your own or your supervisor’s h-index if you have access to ISI Web of Knowledge or equivalent. How many citations are there? How does this compare to another well-known person in your field (10%).
8. Funding opportunities: gender-blind or impossibly biased?
How do funding agencies work?
-the application process
-what are the key points that a grant selection committee looks for in a grant application?
-excellent ideas
-productivity
-prior experience/expertise
-no “fishing expeditions”
-overlap with other grants without explanation
-training of highly qualified personnel
-excellent and logical collaborators
-appropriate, cost-effective facilities
-clarity, brevity, presentation
What is the money flow from government/nongovernmental funding agencies?
For this class, investigate funding agencies in Austria and one of EU/Germany/Switzerland/Canada/US/UK/Australia (others?) and their success in supporting women scientists (10%).
9. Investigating your science: what are your goals and how will you get there?
Based on enrollment, the number of student presentations will vary but should be about 30 minutes in length. (30 %)
Students will be asked to lead a discussion that looks at their chosen field of research.
Describe in non-specialist terms what your research is about.
What is/are the most recent breakthrough(s) in your field of research?
What is/are the big question(s) that remain unanswered?
What is the goal of your own research?
Do you see a future for yourself in this field of research? If not, how would you re-direct your research at the next stage of your career?
Looking at the literature in your field, how many women publish in it as first (usually the student or PDF) or last (usually the PI) author?
My goal is to give students at least 6 weeks to prepare their reports and presentations that will occur over lectures 9-11.
A farewell get together will be planned for the last week’s class, which might take the form of a workshop (to be announced).
Marks will be the sum of the above plus 25% for class participation (attendance and contributions).
References/suggested readings:
1. Becoming Leaders: A Practical Handbook for Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology. F. M. Williams and C.J. Emerson, American Society of Women Engineers, ASCE Press, ASME Press. (This is a useful little book that can be ordered from http://www.pubs.asce.org/books/press/ )
2. To Recruit and Advance: Women Students and Faculty in Science and Engineering, National Research Council. National Academies Press, Washington, DC. www.nap.edu
3. Beyond Science and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering, National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering and Institute of Medicine. National Academies Press, Washington, DC. www.nap.edu
4. Success Strategies for Women in Science: A Portable Mentor. P.A. Pritchard, ed. Academic Press/Elsevier.
5. Women in Science. Maisel, M. and Smart, L. San Diego Supercomputer Center. 1997.(pdf)
6. The Gender Gap in NIH Grant Applications, Ley, T.J., Hamilton, B.H. Science: 322:1472-74 (2008)
7. Task Force on Women in Science and Engineering: Harvard University, May, 2005. (2 pdf)
8. Keeping Women in Science. Kresge, N. ASBMB Today, Dec. 2008.
9. It’s a Woman’s World. The Insider: Sex and Science. New Scientist, October 2, 2004
10. Gender issues related to graduate student attrition in two science departments. Ferreira, M.M., Int. J. Sci. Educ. 25:969-989, 2003. (pdf)
Websites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Rowley
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Thornton; http://www.bbk.ac.uk/about_us/fellows/thornton
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_A._Steitz
http://www.fmi.ch/html/research/research_groups/emeritus/barbara_hohn/barbara_hohn.html
http://www.aaps.ed.ac.uk/Committees/Senate/Senate_Pages/2001-02/121201/B4-Murray.htm
http://www.wittgenstein-club.at/03sch-eng.htm
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