WiSEsummit
Women in Science & Engineering Summit
Organised under the auspices of
Organised by FASTS, now Science & Technology Australia
Lead supporters
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Supporters
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Women in Science and Engineering – THE ISSUE
• despite our best efforts we are s=ll not achieving gender equity
• some of our brightest scien=sts are leaving science mid-‐career
• too few young women are considering engineering and the physical sciences as poten=al career paths.
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Women in Science and Engineering – THE GOAL
Australia will gain both economically and socially if it can capture its investment in
training smart young women in science and engineering and nurture them into careers as
senior research and technology leaders
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The WiSE Summit aimed to:
• highlight the barriers facing women in science and engineering careers
• encourage science and engineering leaders to take prac=cal steps to retain young women scien=sts and engineers
• explore other opportuni=es to improve gender equality in science and engineering.
• WiSE Summit was held on 11 April 2011 in Canberra
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WiSE Summit was a?ended by:
• the Minister for Employment Par=cipa=on and Minister for Child Care, the Hon Kate Ellis MP
• more than 150 senior managers from corpora=ons, government, research ins=tu=ons, research funders, universi=es, and non-‐governmental organisa=ons
• high-‐achieving young women in science and engineering
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Dr Cathy Foley, President of Science & Technology Australia, presented results
from a recent report:
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Major commitments were made in the three roundtables:
1. Improving the workplace – gender equity in ac=on
2. ASrac=ng school and university students to the physical sciences, engineering and maths
3. Changing the system–leaders of science and engineering agencies in discussion with the Hon Kate Ellis MP
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ACTION COMMITTED: Research funding commitments for grant
applicants with interrupted careers:
• the NaNonal Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) will consider any nominated five years rather than the immediate previous five years
• the Australian Research Council (ARC) will extend the normal period taken into account when assessing research publica=on records.
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Other NHMRC and ARC commitments:
• NHMRC will undertake long term monitoring and address gender issues with research ins=tutes
• The ARC will: – consider the inclusion of outreach ac=vi=es in assessment for grants
– share examples of the benefits of increasing the par=cipa=on of women in research.
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CSIRO commi?ed to: • remove barriers to the promo=on of highly skilled women, and boost incen=ves to encourage women to return to the workforce aVer maternity leave, by – increasing the number of Payne-‐ScoS awards – removing cultural barriers, and building greater trust and respect for women within the organisa=on
– repor=ng publicly on gender par=cipa=on.
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The Australian Technology Network of UniversiNes commi?ed to:
• review performance targets and =me frames for the number of female academics employed at all levels in science, technology, and engineering (STE), so as to – meet or exceed the propor=on of women employed across STE industries na=onally.
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The Bureau of Meteorology commi?ed to:
• improve childcare and parent resources • use its website—the highest visited government website—to raise awareness of gender issues.
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Science & Technology Australia commi?ed to:
• work with scien=fic socie=es to conduct audits of prac=ces with a view to increasing the par=cipa=on of women through best prac=ce
• gather examples of exis=ng prac=ces, programs and policies which have been successful in increasing the par=cipa=on of women
• develop a toolkit to guide the science and technology sector.
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Other major commitments:
• IBM, a significant employer of scien=sts and technologists, will support CSIRO’s Science in Schools program
• Australian InsNtute of Marine Sciences commiSed to collec=ng and publishing data on issues rela=ng to childcare in rural and regional Australia.
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All research leaders commi?ed to:
• support the adop=on the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles in their home organisa=ons.
All parNcipants commi?ed to: • meet again to review progress
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The WiSE tool kit will include:
• a best-‐prac=ce guide for managers • a prac=cal career guide for female scien=sts and engineers
• a guide to resources for encouraging school and ter=ary students to stay in science and engineering.
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Further informaNon
www.wise-‐summit.org
Anna-‐Maria Arabia www.sta.org.au
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