Funding Opportunities Specifically for Women

American Association of University Women, known as the AAUW, is one of the largest funding resources available to women in academia. Be sure to keep these deadlines and opportunities on your radar.

Check it out at:

 https://www.aauw.org/what-we-do/educational-funding-and-awards/

Our top picks from June 13th, 2018

⭃In competitive fields, it can be hard to know where to begin to get a foot in the door if you are uncertain how you will be received, and even harder if some privileges weren't provided to you based on gender, race, or parental income status. This Science News article celebrates and provides a starting point for students who may have been under-served to get into science and be a competitive candidate now and in the future. 

⭃This week, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine came out with a report highlighting the sexual harassment that women can be even more susceptible to in the male-dominated STEM fields. This video sums up the report, mentioning that incidents of sexual harassment can be dramatically lowered by taking just a few easy precautionary steps, including encouraging diversity, and changing the model of the mentor-mentee relationships so that there is not so much dependence on a mentor for a student (possibly by encouraging mentor networks and independent funding opportunities for students).

⭃Steps in the right direction are being made at a Harvard Medical School training hospital. As their core values align more with diversity and helping represent under-represented minorities in medicine, they have decided to take down the portraits of "medical luminaries" that hand in an auditorium. Of the 31 gold-framed portraits, 30 are white males. Read more about how this hospital is trying to make more than just a visual change in the article, "In an about-face, hospital will disperse portraits of past white male luminaries, put the focus on diversity."

Flickr Image by Elaine Smith. 

⭃While the Keto diet (a revamped version of the Adkins diet) might be the fad right now, the idea of staying off carbs might be particularly good for women. This article highlights a study done that found that food such as fish and legumes might help women delay the onset of natural menopause, while consuming refined carbs, like pasta and rice, may actually speed it up!

Stock image: Credit © JPC-PROD/Fotolia

⭃For hard science, where you stand on controversial topics like abortion and birth control doesn't change the outcome of the data. Check out these articles on some of the statistics and facts surrounding studies being done on both.

"New report examines scientific evidence on safety and quality of abortion care in the US"

"Women should have right to reject pregnancy, experts say"

"Having an abortion does not lead to depression"

"Relationship factor affect decisions about contraceptive use among young adults"

"IUDs may have a surprising benefit: Protection against cervical cancer"

Our top picks for June 6th, 2018

There is a lot of speculation on how and when we will be able to close the gender gap, but based on the trajectory STEM fields are on now the data shows that 16 years is the estimated time for the number of publishing female academic authors to equal that of their male counterparts. But even 16 years for some fields is a gross underestimate. Read more in The Atlantic's article "When Will the Gender Gap in Science Disappear."

Flickr image from Womensphere Community. 

Women are just like everyone else, we get by with a little help from our friends! Discov-her has put together a list of 7 organizations that encourage and empower women to continue producing relevant, hard-hitting scientific advancements.

Flickr image from Betsy Weber. 

Fighting the stereotypical damsel-in-distress saved by the knight-in-shining-armor bit, the article "Mentoring Women is not About Trying to Rescue Them," addresses the correct mentor-mentee relationship and attitude that should be present in academia. This "reciprocal mentoring" challegnes the unidirectional mentoring model, benefiting not only women in science but male mentees too and could be one of the most helpful things to bring to light for academic mentors.

Interesting articles from April 2018:

1. Ten Leadership Resolutions for a Successful 2018

https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/10-leadership-resolutions-successful-2018/

2. Five Daily Habits That Will Boost Your Leadership in 2018

https://www.inc.com/gordon-tredgold/5-simple-habits-that-will-upgrade-your-leadership-in-2018.html

3. Four Important Steps Women Can Take Toward Leadership

https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5489-female-leadership-advice.html

4. Not Smart Enough? Men Overestimate Intelligence in Science Class

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/not-smart-enough-men-overestimate-intelligence-science-class-n862801

Interesting articles from March 2018:

Science’s Sex Problem Is Getting Harder to Ignore

At the hearing, Republican Rep. Randy Hultgren asked: How many women with STEM degrees don’t work in science because the culture is so hostile to women? “Unfortunately, I think it explains most of it,” replied Kate Clancy, an anthropologist at the University of Illinois who studies workplaces in the sciences. “It’s the daily indignity of being told that you are less than.” “Then we are losing the very best and brightest,” Hultgren said. “We really do want to help. We need you. We need your brilliance and expertise. This has to stop.”

https://newrepublic.com/article/147218/sciences-sex-problem-getting-harder-ignore

Congress takes on sexual harassment in the sciences

https://www.wired.com/story/congress-addresses-harassment-in-the-sciences/

Why are there few women in Tech? Watch a recruiting session

New Stanford research shows how companies alienate women before they start working.

https://www.wired.com/story/why-are-there-few-women-in-tech-watch-a-recruiting-session/

Professional Opportunities:

The Scripps Research Institute's Department of Neuroscience is hiring!

Faculty positions at any level, Tenure Track in the Department of Neuroscience

https://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/jobs/637535-faculty-position-tenure-track-neuroscience