US National Academies Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine (CWSEM)

1. US National Academies Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine (CWSEM)

2. Agenda for Change: removing career obstacles for women in science, engineering, and medicine • Leadership: Commitment from the top of the National Academies • Governance: Establish a Committee on Women • Mandate • Workshops • Studies • Engage representatives from science, engineering, and biomedical societies

3. Current Members: • Lilian Wu, Chair, Program Executive, University Relations, IBM • Alice Agogino, Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley • Florence Bonner, Professor and Chairperson, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Howard University • Allan Fisher, President and CEO, iCarnegie, Inc. • Lydia Villa-Komaroff, CEO, Cytonone, Inc. • June Osborn, President Emerita, Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation • Vivian Pinn, Director, Office of Research on Women’s Health, National Institutes of Health • Pardis Sabeti, Assistant Professor, Harvard University • Warren Washington, Senior Scientist and Section Head, National Center for Atmospheric Research • Susan Wessler, Regents Professor, Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia

4. Purpose of the Committee: • A standing committee of the National Research Council (NRC) • Collects and disseminates information on the education and employment of women scientists and engineers, and recommends ways to enhance women’s advancement • Activities include an agenda of study projects; disseminating data on the Internet and at professional meetings; and serving as an information resource for the national media as well as a liaison to other national organizations

5. Committee Mandate: • The committee will increase the participation of women in the scientific and engineering (S&E) labor force by: • Serving as a resource for organizations and individuals seeking information and analysis about the status of women in science, engineering, and medical employment and education; • Formulating strategies to collect, analyze, and disseminate information on the needs and status of opportunities for women in science engineering, and medical fields; • Reviewing relevant policies of agencies, universities, and industry designed to enhance the role of women; • Initiating and overseeing ad hoc committees to hold workshops and issue consensus reports with findings and recommendations for effective policies and programs to remove barriers to the participation of women in sciences, engineering and medicine; • Serving as an institutional focal point in support of complementary activities across the NAS, NAE, IOM and the NRC.

6. CWSEM Workshop • Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Critical Transition Points for Achieving and Sustaining Careers in Industry and Academia • September 18-19, 2008, Washington, DC • Joint collaboration with the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) of the National Institutes of Health

7. Statement of Intent • Engage representatives from science, engineering, and biomedical societies to focus on advancing and sustaining women through critical transition points.Key themes: • Extended (and increasing) length of time between completion of a BS to receiving a tenure track position • The changing nature of science, engineering, and medicine — growth in interdisciplinary fields and careers that cross academia, industry, and government • 21st century problems will require scientists, engineers, and medical professionals' contributions in many different domains, all of which are multi-disciplinary and involve academia, industry, and government working together; it will be important to make sure women are not left out.

8. Upcoming Workshop • "From Science to Business: How to Prepare Female Scientists and Engineers to Successfully Transition into Entrepreneurship" • Topics to be discussed: • Careers in biotech • Careers in pharmaceutical companies • Education to prepare for entrepreneurial careers • A look into the future, careers in environment-focused and green biological businesses • The conclusions from this workshop will be summarized and distributed in the form of a workshop review summary as well as bi-annual webinars

9. CWSEM Study: Gender Differences in the Careers of Science and Engineering Faculty • Hiring, tenure, promotion practices in almost 500 departments during 2002 to 2004, and the allocation of institutional resources for faculty • Six fields: biology, chemistry, civil engineering, electrical engineering, mathematics and physics. • Two surveys of faculty and departments at major U.S. research universities

10. Focus of the Surveys: • Demographic characteristics of the faculty. • Department employment experiences (including data on applicant pool, interview candidates and first offers for positions). • Types of institutional support (such as laboratory space). • Surveys cover all of the steps of hiring and promoting tenure-track and tenured faculty.

11. Status of the Project: • Survey work completed and data has been analyzed. • Committee has reviewed and revised report and it is in the final stages. • Anticipate release shortly.

12. What the Assessing Gender Differences Study Adds to the Discussion: • New data that can help focus discussion on current experiences. • Importance of Research Intensive (RI) institutions in shaping our future faculty that will impact many students who pursue science and engineering. • Report will clarify to what extent male and female faculty have similar opportunities to advance and succeed at these institutions.