Retaining Women Scientists In Academia

While more women are earning doctoral degrees in science, retaining them in the academic pipeline in tenured faculty positions still remains a challenge. According to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, this may pose a threat to America's position as a leader in science. The report suggests that plans to have children affect women more profoundly in their career decisions than their male counterparts. This situation is further aggravated by the huge time demands on faculty, especially women, who have to balance work and home. Some of the recommendations made for addressing these issues for preventing women scientists from leaving their research careers include the adoption of family friendly policies by universities, giving paid maternity leave, and stopping the tenure clock for women scientists who have just had a child.

Keep the women there
 

The Classrooms of Tomorrow
The face of the normal classroom is changing fast. With more and more universities set to introduce online education, web courses are redefining the meaning of a 'traditional student'. No longer limited to busy adults juggling the demands of a full time job and education, online courses are becoming increasingly popular at universities across the country. This new push towards web-based learning is aimed at expanding access, speeding up the time needed for a degree, managing classroom needs, and saving money. While providing solutions to a number of these issues, this system also has its caveats. This article takes a closer look at some real students to examine how they are handling this new experience which blends online, face-to-face, and hybrid learning, and the growing digital freedom that is an inevitable part of it.

In a virtual world
 

Ph.Ds Considered Financially of Little More Value than Masters Degrees

A study in the Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management shows that mathematics, computing, social sciences, and language Ph.Ds earn no more than those with Masters degrees, while those in medicine and other sciences earn about 3% more.  This article examines the value of producing too many "academic" Ph.Ds and argues that the difference between research Ph.Ds and "practical doctorates" such as those in law, business, and medicine is that practical doctorates can address societal needs.  To solve the problem of too many Ph.Ds, do we need to train Ph.Ds for practical purposes?

Disposable academic 

Advice from Those Who Have Taken the Long and Windy Career Path
This report follows the accounts of 24 graduates and post-docs who kept journals for Naturejobs between 2004 and 2007.  Some pursued careers in academic science, others in industry, and some in more unexpected fields.  Following the careers of these scientists gives an appreciation of the triumphs and struggles which are often encountered on the road to becoming a scientist.

Where are they now?   
 

Workplace Flexibility has Financial Benefits

While many institutions and companies treat work place flexibility as a necessary policy, some big accounting firms have recently managed to implement workplace flexibility while boosting company performance.  Accounting firms are leading the way in workplace flexibility, making employee's personal lives part of workplace schedules.  This has resulted in happier and more productive employees, and has also led to reduced staff turnover

Flexibility equals success
 

Contributed by Jennifer MacArthur 

Faster and More Reliable Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis

Doctors have determined an ultrasound-based method for distinguishing between benign and malignant ovarian tumors.  In a study published in BMJ, researchers tested their ultrasound technique on almost 2,000 women prior to surgery.  Using five features of benign or malignant tumors, such as size, shape, and blood flow, the ultrasound technique was able to accurately identify ovarian tumor type in 77% of these cases.  Simple and reliable diagnosis of tumor type before an operation should better guide surgical technique and improve patient prognosis.

Ultrasound paving the way

Interrupted Sleep More Likely for Working Moms than for Dads

Working mothers are two and a half times as likely as working fathers to get up in the middle of the night to take care of babies and small children.  Those sleep interruptions also last longer, averaging 44 minutes for women, compared to 30 minutes for men.  A study carried out at The University of Michigan analyzed time diary data from approximately 20,000 working parents collected from 2003 to 2007.  The study authors argue that the burden of sleep interruption for working mothers may contribute to gender inequality in earnings and career advancement.

Tired moms

Emotional Signals Are Chemically Encoded in Tears

Women's tears can have a powerful effect on men.  Now a study, published in Science, demonstrates that the "scent" of a woman's tears, without the crying woman present, reduces men's sexual arousal.  Researchers collected tears from women volunteers watching sad movies alone, and then measured men's reaction to sniffing either the tears or saline.  Exposure to sad women's tears did not affect the male subjects' empathy or reaction to emotional movies or faces.  However, physiological measures such as skin temperature, heart rate and testosterone levels, and brain scans indicated a pronounced drop in arousal in these men.

Cry me a river

Five Ways You're Letting Yourself Down

Leaders who fail to achieve true greatness usually have only themselves to blame, write Anne Morriss, Robin Ely and Frances Frei. A selfish streak, over-investment in one's public image or a failure to protect and nurture employees can trip up even the most talented boss.  

Get it right

How to Achieve Your New Year's Resolutions

Many people make New Year's resolutions, but fewer follow through. To set achievable resolutions, consider what would make you more content, what tangible goals can help you reach that state, whether you respond better to positive or negative resolutions, whether you are biting off more than you can chew and how you will hold yourself accountable.

Setting you goals 

AWIS Chicago Chapter

Event: Skills Series: Resume/CV Workshop

Date: January 19

Time: 6:30PM - 8:00PM      

AWIS LA/Ventura County Chapter

Event: Careers in Clinical Trials

Date: January 21

Time: 5:30PM - 7:30PM      

AWIS Central Arizona Chapter

Event: Forward to Professorship Workshop

Date: January 24

Time: 5:30PM - 7:30PM

AWIS Massachusetts Chapter

Event: The PHARM Game

Date: January 27

Time:6:00PM - 9:00PM    

AWIS DC Metropolitan/Greater Baltimore/Bethesda Chapter

Event: New Year's Networking Party

Date: January 27

Time: 6:30PM - 8:30PM     

Opportunities

Research Funding Without the Post-Doc
Deadline: January 21, 2011
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will grant research funding to a select number of new PhD and MD graduates with secured research positions.  The NIH Director Early Independence Award (EIA) program consists of approximately $60 million to be distributed over the next five years.  The EIA does not require post-doctoral training, and academic institutions can actively recruit talented candidates into these positions.  Each institution can apply for up to two awards. Click here for more information.  

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) at the NationalInstitute of Standards and Technology

May 23 - August 5, 2011

Deadline for applications: February 15, 2011

Website for eligibility and application requirements  

Ellison Medical Foundation Accepting Letters of Intent for Senior Scholar Award in Aging

Deadline: March 4, 2011 (Letters of Intent) 

Four-year awards of up to $600,000 will be given to academic investigators in the United States conducting research in the basic biological sciences relevant to understanding lifespan development processes and age-related diseases and disabilities. 

Click here for more information

This program has a rolling admission.

This program offers one to three year postdoctoral fellowships designed to increase the involvement of scientists and engineers from academia and industry to scientific and technical areas of interest and relevance to the Navy. Click here for more information.

Fellowships for Postdoctoral Researchers are for postdoctoral scientists and scholars who have completed a doctoral degree within four years prior to the application submission date are eligible.

Click here for application materials and detailed information.
 

Fellowships for Experienced Researchers are for scientists and scholars who have completed a doctoral degree within twelve years prior to the application submission date are eligible. Click here for application materials and detailed information.