Cambridge Association for Women in Science and Engineering

In the News
New Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers published. See our Cambridge AWiSE response to the consultation on our Reports page. (May 2008)

Applications for the 2009 UNESCO-L'Oreal International Fellowships for Young Women in Life Sciences are now open. The international Fellowships are awarded to 15 young women researchers in the life sciences at doctoral or postdoctoral level, whose promising projects have been accepted by a reputable institution outside of their home country. The Fellowships, worth up to $40,000 for a period of up to two years, are awarded to three Fellows from each of the following five regions: Africa; Arab States; Asia & the Pacific; Europe & North America; and Latin America & the Caribbean. The application form, and an information sheet compiled by the UK National Commission for UNESCO which includes eligibility criteria can also be found at: www.forwomeninscience.com. Closing date 30 June 2008. (May 2008).

11th March saw the launch of the UKRC Women of Outstanding Achievement Photograhic Exhibition for 2008! This exhibition profiles leading women in SET - a sector in which only 18.5% of employees are female, with the aim of inspiring other women to take part and progress in a career within SET. We at Cambridge AWiSE have also launched our own Women in SET photodisplay, we hope you find this as inspirational. If you would like to add your story, please contact us! (April 2008)

Special membership offer! The Institute of Biology is offering all Cambridge AWISE members the chance to join their membership scheme at a special rate. If you join before the end of September, you will get two years’ membership for the price of one. Wherever you are in your career as a biologist the Institute can help you. Membership benefits include their prestigious journal ‘Biologist’, discounts on events, courses and publications, and networking opportunities. Joining IoB is also the only way to apply for ‘Chartered Biologist’ (CBiol) status, which recognises high professional levels of expertise, and is highly valued both in industry and the academic world. To take advantage of this special offer, call the IoB’s membership team on 020 7936 5942, or email membership@iob.org and quote ‘AWISE’. (April 2008)

Why do women in SET need feminism? Alison Phipps, Director of Gender Studies at Sussex University, argues that, in order to achieve gender equality in SET fields, it is necessary for activists to employ a critical and radical perspective. Currently, the dominant framework appears to be a ‘business case’ approach in which women’s participation in SET is described as essential for the good of the economy. Although activists have used this rhetoric wisely in order to tap into government and European funding, it does not provide an explanation for women’s under-representation in SET or a programme for delivering gender equality. In contrast, the body of knowledge around gender and SET developed by feminists since the 1970s could help activists a great deal in the creation of initiatives. This article was previously published in the April 2008 issue of The Biochemist, the magazine of the Biochemical Society. Read the full article here. (April 2008).

New analysis of data from the Office of National Statistics shows that women in their 40's working full time earn, on average, 20.3% less than men. Fay Schlesinger in the Guardian 15th April reports that this "motherhood penalty" starts to appear ~10 years after women start work. The smallest pay gap was for professional occupations at 3.8%, rising to 23% for managers and 25.4% for women working in skilled trade jobs. (April 2008)

Do you look like this? Didn't think so!! Many people, however, hold stereotypical images of scientists, engineers and technologists. Scientists have mad hair, wear white lab coats and create bubbling potions; Engineers have oil under their fingernails, carry a spanner and fix things; Technologists are thin and nerdy and can only interact with computers. And they are all white men.
Many scientists, engineers and technologists don't, of course, fit these descriptions!! As part of National Science Week, Cambridge Science Festival very kindly sponsored us to produce a photodisplay of Women in SET. Our posters show women from different SET disciplines and from all different career stages but they have one thing in common: an excitement and passion for SET. We hope that these posters help breakdown the stereotypes and encourage more women and young girls consider a career in SET. We'd love more of you to be part of this. If you'd like to help make this an even bigger and better resource, please contact us. (April 2008)

A huge thank you to everyone who helped out at our stall at this year's Cambridge Science Festival. Our location in the cafe proved a great success, with visits from Carol Vorderman and the Vice Chancellor Prof. Alison Richard. Both were really interested in what Cambridge AWiSE are doing to support women in SET. The Vice Chancellor was the winner of our potato stabbing competition, forcing a straw all the way through! Lucy and Tennie. (March 08).

Registration is now open for the Diamond Jubilee Conference on Integrated Mechanisms of Cellular Identity and Homeostasis on 26-27th June at the Babraham Institute. This meeting will bring together international leaders in development and signalling to explore epigenetic mechanisms in development and cellular responses to the environment.
Early bird registration closes on 28th April. For more details visit the Conference Website. (April 2008)

Research shows a third of mothers slip down the career ladder to balance work and family. Lucy Ward in the Guardian 27th February reports on research by Mary Gregory and Sara Connolly which shows that, although there are encouraging trends for women's advancement, women who wish to work part time after child birth face a significant reduction in career status.

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