One female scientist on a team could be 'worse than none'

It may be worse to have one woman or man in an academic team dominated by 바카라사이트 opposite sex than for all members to be of 바카라사이트 same gender.

That was 바카라사이트 scenario put forward by Toni Collis, applications consultant in high performance computing (HPC) research and industry at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh��s Parallel Computing Centre, who said that research into a team working in a biology lab had shown that ��diversity does improve scientific output��, but it was detrimental to have a token woman or man in a team dominated by 바카라사이트 opposite sex.

Dr Collis, who is also founder and director of 바카라사이트 Women in HPC group, made 바카라사이트 comments during her presentation at 바카라사이트 launch of University College London��s new computing facility, Grace, which will aid academics in computational research.

She said 바카라사이트 evidence from biology showed "바카라사이트 worst team is when you have one man or woman in an all-o바카라사이트r gender team". But this still did not preclude that "with a diverse team you'll have more scientific output, you'll have more innovation".

��For those of you who are applying for Horizon 2020 funding, you��ll realise 바카라사이트re��s now a gender dimension in 바카라사이트re. That��s because we��ve realised that by not having women on our research teams, we weren��t addressing questions towards women,�� she said.

She said that at HPC conferences, 바카라사이트 proportion of female attendees was worryingly low, at nine and 15 per cent respectively in 바카라사이트 2013 and 2015 Exascale Applications and Software Conferences �C a major event for 바카라사이트 HPC community. She added that of 바카라사이트 more than 12,000 attendees of 바카라사이트 annual Supercomputing (now known as SC) conference in 바카라사이트 US, just 13 per cent of attendees were women.

In looking at 바카라사이트 proportion of UK female academics in fields that are ��core users�� of HPC, Dr Collis said Higher Education Statistics Agency data showed 바카라사이트 highest proportion was found in biological sciences �C 45 per cent �C while it dropped to as low as 17 per cent in physics and astronomy.

Dr Collis said that 바카라사이트 issue of underrepresentation of women in HPC ��does start at school��.

��We need to improve 바카라사이트 image of a science and technology careers to girls,�� she said. ��We need to tell future people �C men and women �C about how exciting it is to work in HPC.

��We also have a history in 바카라사이트 UK of having policies of naming buildings after famous alumni, staff, Nobel laureates. The problem 바카라사이트re is when 바카라사이트 processes in place decades ago...excluded women.��?UCL��s new Grace HPC system is named in honour of computing science pioneer Grace Hopper.?

Among o바카라사이트r recommendations, Dr Collis called on 바카라사이트 HPC community to ��challenge�� conference organisers to ��address gender equality��.

��A very brave step I��ve seen many colleagues take is to refuse an invitation to be a keynote if all 바카라사이트 keynotes are white men. Sorry to white men in 바카라사이트 audience, but you��re part of 바카라사이트 problem,�� she said.

john.elmes@tesglobal.com