Professional role confidence of female scientists
Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser, Alke Fink and Sofía Martín Caba, Université de Fribourg, Switzerland.
This proposal’s vision is to help implement a true culture of gender equality, to achieve a real gender balance among the next generation of materials scientists, and to provide a role model for the enhanced integration of women in natural and life science disciplines.
Female researchers face a major hurdle when it comes to making the first step onto the academic ladder as postdocs, or rising further up in the hierarchy later on – a lack of professional role confidence. This missing confidence engenders a negative feedback loop leading to lower publication rates, decreased grant and less professional success. This phenomenon has been observed by the three applicants for the Materials Today Agents of Change Award throughout their careers as mentors of high school, Master and PhD students, postdocs as well as senior scientists. They have identified different courses of action to overcome this impediment to success such as (i) organizing round table discussions about this topic, including presentation skills training; and (ii) offering an extended workshop about “Professional role confidence” for women scientists at all levels, organized by female professionals and role models. Furthermore, these events will help female researchers build up a strong network in Switzerland in the materials engineering field, exchange ideas, know-how, or set up joint programs for example with the goal of addressing the aforementioned lack of “professional role confidence”. This proposal’s vision is to help implement a true culture of gender equality, to achieve a real gender balance among the next generation of materials scientists, and to provide a role model for the enhanced integration of women in natural and life science disciplines.
