Announcement of Science Foundation Ireland’s Programmes to Address the Under-Representation of Women in Irish Science and Engineering Research

14^{t h} April 2005, the Italian Room, Government Buildings

Good morning distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

It is a great pleasure to be here today to announce this latest investment in Irish research and the Irish scientific community – the SFI Women in Science & Engineering Research Initiative.

According to the European Commission, the number of women in senior positions in science is growing, but only slowly. Across the EU, women only make up 14% of top academics – despite the fact that they represent 44% of graduates in science and technology subjects.

In its new report “Women and Science: Excellence and Innovation - Gender Equality in Science”, the Commission sets out the actions required to promote the role of women in science.

The Irish Government shares the Commission’s concern about the role of women in science and I am delighted to say that Ireland is taking a lead with today’s announcement that three programmes will be funded by Science Foundation Ireland which are aimed at addressing the under-representation of women in Irish science and engineering research. The support for this initiative, in common with all SFI programmes, will be based upon excellence. The three new programmes are :

• The SFI Principal Investigator Career Advancement Award - The aim of this award is to provide assistance to academics in getting their research career back on track following maternity, adoptive, carers or parental leave;
• The SFI Planning Grant & Institute Development Award, which will provide each research body with the opportunity to conduct an assessment of women’s participation in science and engineering research activities and research management; and
• The SFI Junior Scholarship - This scheme aims to identify and encourage more high-achieving girls into third level education and to support them during their undergraduate career.
  

Today I am announcing the launch of calls for applications under the first two programmes. Details of the SFI Junior Scholarship will be announced in the autumn.

Two years ago, a Forfás briefing document revealed that at Leaving Certificate level, there are actually more girls than boys taking science subjects, particularly biology (66% female) and computer studies (58% female). However, in the field of physics, female students represent just 25% of the total number of students. Physics and mathematics are the cornerstone of science as they permit the study of engineering, biology and earth systems. We are all conscious of the need to encourage young girls to study physics at secondary level and we need to work together to ensure that students recognise the importance and benefits of studying both physics and mathematics.

Women are also well represented at undergraduate level in most scientific and technological disciplines in Ireland. At post-graduate level, 50% of science, mathematics and computing PhD places in Ireland are occupied by women.

However, this equilibrium is not maintained in the workplace and higher up the career ladder we find a serious gender imbalance in the scientific research, education and industrial sectors. This is what is referred to as the “leaky pipeline” – the loss of talented female academic and industrial researchers.

In industrial research, for instance, women account for less that 25% of workers, and are mostly employed in support roles. Women also hold less than 25% of the positions on scientific boards and councils and only a tiny percentage of senior academic positions.

The issue is not simply a matter of equality - ensuring that all careers are open to men and women alike - but also one of ensuring that there are sufficient numbers of researchers in science, engineering and technology to support the knowledge-based economy the government has committed to building. There is a clear and unequivocal business case for increasing the participation of women in science, engineering and technology in Ireland.

The EU member states have committed to increasing their R&D spend to 3% of GDP by 2010. In Ireland, this translates to a need to recruit 12,500additional researchers.

Women represent a significant and relatively untapped resource from which many of these additional researchers can be recruited. Women who have already left careers in science, engineering and technology can be supported to return and a new generation of young women should be encouraged to pursue scientific and technical careers.

There are also important benefits of diversity in enhancing the quality of science, engineering and technology by bringing different perspectives to bear on the direction of the science and the outcomes.

It is true to say that every country experiences the same “leaky pipeline”. Even in those countries where the numbers of men and women embarking on scientific and engineering careers are better balanced, the percentage of women decreases at each successive stage of the career ladder.

There is also uniform agreement that there is no “quick fix” and that a coherent and co-ordinated set of interventions is required to address every stage of the “pipeline”, starting at primary school level.

To achieve these goals we need to improve the working environment and adapt to the needs of individuals conducting successful, internationally competitive research.This requires planning, commitment and increased awareness.

It will involve changes in attitude, changes in the number of women on steering committees, changes in recruitment practices, and changes in work schedules. In this regard, I think the recent publication of the WITS Talent Bank compiled by the Irish Association for Women in Technology and Science is very useful. Such a directory of expert women scientists, engineers and technologists (SET) who are willing to serve on advisory, selection or management boards, will further facilitate women participating at the highest levels of policy making.

I believe today’s announcements are a good first step in seeking to address the gender imbalance in the research community. In doing so I must re-iterate that all of these programmes and the success of these initiatives will be grounded in scientific excellence.

The returns on these investments will include world-class research, positive role models and increased female participation in Irish science and engineering research.

Finally, I would like to thank Science Foundation Ireland under Dr William Harris for bringing forward this initiative; in particular I would like to thank, SFI Board Member Dr Jane Grimson and SFI Programme Officer Dr Mary Kelly for their work. I look forward to tracking the success and contribution of these programmes as we manage Ireland’s transition to a knowledge-based economy.

ENDS

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