According to the U.S. National Science Foundation, women earn about half of the doctoral degrees in science, yet they represent a mere 21% of the faculty at the full professor level at research institutions in the United States.
Research: Junior Female Scientists Aren’t Getting the Credit They Deserve
Women earn about half of life science doctorates, but only 21% of them land full professorships and a mere 15% serve as department chairs at medical schools. Two studies, currently under peer review, explored women’s early career advancement by looking at gender differences in publications and research funding. One found that women had a 10-15% higher likelihood than men of earning prestigious first authorships, on average, across more than 100,000 articles published between 1985 and 2009. However, women have remained substantially underrepresented in the senior last author position during the same time. The second study found that women are less likely than men to attain important R01 grant funding, crucial for transitioning to a senior scientist position. Both studies suggest that women face real barriers to advancing in the life sciences, and these are apparent early on in their careers.