Promising Practices for Addressing the Underrepresentation of Women in STEM: A Comparative Analysis Across Scientific Disciplines

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The scientific and engineering communities have been working towards improved representation of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM for decades, and while progress has been made, women and, in particular, women of color remain underrepresented in many scientific and engineering fields at many levels in STEM education and stages in STEM careers. This study of the National Academies will seek to understand institutional barriers to implementing promising practices for improving representation of women in STEM, such that those barriers can be removed or overcome. Importantly, this study will not put the onus on women, but rather will focus on helping institutions understand how to remove barriers that exist because of outmoded institutional structures. Moreover, considerable energy will be invested in examining the evidence behind the most successful policies, practices and strategies that have demonstrated effectiveness in opening doors to women's participation and success in STEM fields. An appointed study committee of experts under the auspices of the NAS Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine (CWSEM) will undertake the following activities: 1) a comparative examination of research on why women are more underrepresented in some STEM disciplines compared to others; 2) a review, analysis, and synthesis of existing research on policies, practices, programs and other interventions for improving recruitment, retention, and sustained advancement into leadership roles of women in specific STEM disciplines and at different stages in career trajectories; 3) an investigation into why effective interventions have not been scaled up or adopted by more institutions and workplaces; and 4) the development of evidence-based recommendations for implementing promising policies and practices to improve both representation and leadership of women within specific STEM disciplines. The study will also place a strong emphasis on the intersection of race and gender by considering the accumulated research on specific barriers faced by women of color in STEM and the research on policies and practices that have had an impact on the representation of women of color in STEM. This study is very timely for academic institutions and organizations, the private sector, as well as state and federal legislators and federal agencies that have a major interest and commitment to equity in STEM. Upon completion and publication of the final report, the National Academies will undertake an intensive set of communication and outreach activities with stakeholders in academia, industry, government, Congress, and professional societies.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.