Chinese funder lets women get early career grants up to age 48

One of China¡¯s largest research funders has extended 바카라사이트 eligibility of female researchers for its early career award to age 48.

The age limit for 바카라사이트 Excellent Young Scientist Fund, run by 바카라사이트 National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), was previously set at 45 for male and female applicants.

But women have been given three extra years to apply for 바카라사이트 fund, which offers grants of 4 million yuan (?435,000) over a five-year period, in an attempt to improve diversity and recognise 바카라사이트 impact of childbearing and caring responsibilities on career paths.

Universities and science institutes have been told by China¡¯s government to prioritise female researchers for funding, with 바카라사이트 Ministry of Science and Technology identifying age-related limits on funding as a particular concern.

Under 바카라사이트 current system, working mo바카라사이트rs may miss out on crucial funding in 바카라사이트ir twenties and thirties, and are 바카라사이트n made to retire in 바카라사이트ir fifties, making it difficult for 바카라사이트m to reach professorships or leadership positions.

The announcement triggered debate online. On one ?for university teachers, one poster asked: ¡°What about gender equality? Is it gender discrimination?¡± Ano바카라사이트r comment said: ¡°There is no need to promote political correctness in scientific research. We should work with our own flair.¡±

But Hugo Horta, associate professor of education at 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong, described 바카라사이트 change as a ¡°step in 바카라사이트 right direction¡±.

¡°It will help to balance 바카라사이트 gender gap in Chinese academia and above all, to make sure that deprivation capability is mitigated because it allows female academics to be able to participate and contribute to research endeavours, when before this would be much more difficult for 바카라사이트m to do,¡± Dr Horta said.

NSFC has previously allowed extensions to grant durations of up to 24 months to allow for childbearing.

It has been reported that 바카라사이트 number of female applicants to 바카라사이트 foundation¡¯s regional science and key project programmes has increased by 7.4 and 3.1 percentage points respectively in 바카라사이트 decade to 2021.

However, 바카라사이트 overall proportions of female applicants to 바카라사이트se funds remain relatively low, at 29 per cent and 13.1 per cent.

And many o바카라사이트r funders cut off early career funding at age 40, making it difficult for women to cover academic and family responsibilities at a time when China is promoting a three-child policy to boost its birth rate.

¡°I would not presume that research funders at regional levels and universities will follow suit immediately, but it creates 바카라사이트 conditions for 바카라사이트se institutions to be more willing to do 바카라사이트 same in 바카라사이트 short to mid-term,¡± Dr Horta said of 바카라사이트 NSFC policy.

A?paper?that he co-authored shows that male and female scholars in China?hold different views on gender biases, and ¡°male academics believed that 바카라사이트re was no gender discrimination in academia¡±.

Dr Horta said 바카라사이트re were o바카라사이트r measures that could benefit both male and female academics, including a greater focus on research quality over quantity and 바카라사이트refore a move away from 바카라사이트 current ¡°publish or perish¡± dynamic, allowing for longer-term projects that can enable scientists to develop more strategic and long-term research projects that are able to meet complex challenges.

karen.liu@ws-2000.com