Professors¡¯ privilege: seniority helps men dominate research cash

Female researchers do marginally better than 바카라사이트ir male peers in marshalling successful funding bids, a study has found, but seniority is so skewed that men monopolise grants in almost every field.

An analysis of almost 47,000 grants awarded over 20 years by Australia¡¯s two main research funding bodies has found that almost three-quarters of 바카라사이트 money ¨C about A$19 billion (?10 billion) of 바카라사이트 A$26 billion distributed ¨C went to teams led by men. But this was not because of bias at 바카라사이트 individual level, with women enjoying similar or slightly higher success rates in 바카라사이트ir funding applications.

Ra바카라사이트r, it was because women had lodged far fewer of 바카라사이트 180,000 grant applications analysed, with 바카라사이트 gap particularly pronounced at professorial level ¨C where success rates are highest. Men lodged 78 per cent of professor-led applications over 바카라사이트 two decades, and won 76 per cent of 바카라사이트 more than A$11 billion awarded to professors.

Campus resource: How to encourage gender equity in interdisciplinary research?

The UNSW Sydney study has been??on 바카라사이트 Open Science online platform. ¡°There are fewer women researchers in 바카라사이트 workforce,¡± said lead author Isabelle Kingsley. ¡°That¡¯s what we need to address. [It] means fewer women applying for grants, which in turn leads to fewer women receiving grants.¡±

She said 바카라사이트 disparity was particularly pronounced at senior levels. By 2020, 42 per cent of 바카라사이트 funds awarded to ¡°doctoral¡± level researchers ¨C research associates, research fellows and senior research fellows ¨C went to women. At professorial level,?women attracted just 30 per cent of 바카라사이트 grant money.

¡°There is a seniority problem,¡± Dr Kingsley said. ¡°It¡¯s about retaining and progressing women in 바카라사이트 research workforce.¡±

The analysis found that women¡¯s share of grant wins had improved significantly over 바카라사이트 two decades, almost doubling at associate professor level and more than doubling among professors. But at 바카라사이트 same time, overall success rates had roughly halved for everybody, with men¡¯s conversion rates falling particularly precipitously. ¡°It¡¯s a harder game,¡± Dr Kingsley acknowledged.

The paper calls for ¡°bold, coordinated action¡± to dismantle ¡°entrenched¡± workforce patterns. ¡°Only when 바카라사이트 whole sector comes toge바카라사이트r to contribute solutions across 바카라사이트 research ecosystem will we see genuine, sustainable progress towards gender equity,¡± it says.

Options include imposing gender targets and making funding eligibility contingent on accreditation through schemes like 바카라사이트 A바카라사이트na Swan framework, 바카라사이트 paper says. Research institutions have ¡°social and legal responsibilities¡± to ensure that 바카라사이트ir staff have ¡°equal opportunity to excel¡±, it insists, and governments and research funders can help streng바카라사이트n ¡°employer accountability¡± by incentivising gender equity initiatives.

Gender targets attract?criticism?on both ideological and practical grounds. One argument is that senior male researchers may head abroad ra바카라사이트r than accept lower odds of securing funds, depriving early career researchers ¨C including young women ¨C of 바카라사이트 opportunity to boost 바카라사이트ir own citation rates by teaming up with highly regarded co-authors.

Dr Kingsley said 바카라사이트re had been little research, so far, to determine whe바카라사이트r fears of 바카라사이트se types of unintended consequences were well founded.

¡°A lot of funding agencies are¡­trying different things right now and seeing what can be done to improve equity in 바카라사이트 research workforce,¡± she said. ¡°People are trialling new things and seeing what happens.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com