NIH: Women Avoid Scientific Research Because of Family, Self-Confidence

Family responsibilities and confidence are the reasons why many women scientists do not pursue advanced research careers according to a study by the National Institutes of Health. The study found that most women after spending 10 to 15 years training for their career, instead seek out faculty positions, avoiding advanced scientific academic research.

The results of the report are published in the November 2007 issue of the EMBO Reports, and was conducted by the Second Task Force on the Status of the National Institute of Health Intramural Women Scientists. The goal was to find out the reasons for the gap between men and women in advanced scientific research. Although half of all undergraduate science students are female, only 29 percent of the tenure track principal investigators at the National Institute of Health are women.

These statistics have not changed for ten years, and the National Institute of Health believe they are an accurate representation of amount of women in advanced science positions of many academic research institutions. The National Institute of Health conducted the research on their own department because they are the largest biomedical research facility in the United States. The National Institute of Health employs thousands of scientific researchers in its many departments.

"The NIH is not alone in this problem," said NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D. in a press release issued by the National Institute of Health announcing the results of the study. "There's a great brain drain occurring at research institutions across the country as women fall off the tenure track. The reasons, we found, are deep-seated and numerous. This study is a step forward in remedying the problem."

Most scientists interested in pursuing an advanced scientific academic career complete a doctoral degree and go on to do postdoctoral research for three to five years. They then can apply to become an independent investigator for the National Institute of Health. Both the men and women surveyed as part of the study rated themselves equally in their professional abilities. However, men were much more likely to believe that they could obtain an independent investigator position.

The researchers categorized the failure of women to pursue advanced scientific academic research as being related to family responsibilities or lack of self confidence. Most women have a spouse that works full time, while half of men with a spouse has a spouse that works part time or not at all. Dual career households traditionally have the female making concessions for the male when pursuing careers or starting a family.

"Family considerations are a major, but not the only, deterrent to pursing an academic career," said Orna Cohen-Fix, Ph.D., a corresponding author of the report and senior investigator at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases in a press release. "An increase in the number of women postdocs who decide to pursue an advanced research position will translate, in time, to a greater representation of women in tenured faculty positions. Our findings suggest that the loss of talented women from the research track can be reduced by mentoring and a change in the scientific culture to accommodate the needs of both women and men who wish to combine family and scientific careers."

The National Institute of Health concluded that academic research becomes more attractive to women with families because of child care opportunities or the ability to have flexible hours.

Source:

Schwartz, Joan, "Study Reveals Reasons for Women's Departure from the Sciences" National Institute of Health

http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/oct2007/od-31.htm