The following publications represent the work of the Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine from 2000 to the present. Before 2007, the committee was called the Committee on Women in Science and Engineering (CWSE).To order any of these publications or other documents from the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, or National Research Council please contact the National Academy Press at: (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; or you may visit the Academy bookstore on 500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001; (202) 334-3980.  Please note, you may read any of our publications online free of charge by clicking the links below.

CWSEM Publications:

       
Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematis Faculty
This report presents new and surprising findings about career differences between female and male full-time, tenure-track, and tenured faculty in science, engineering, and mathematics at the nation's top research universities.  Much of this congressionally mandated book is based on two unique surveys of faculty and departments at major U.S. research universities in six fields: biology, chemistry, civil engineering, electrical engineering, mathematics, and physics.  A departmental survey collected information on departmental policies, recent tenure and promotion cases, and recent hires in almost 500 departments.  A faculty survey gathered information from a stratified, random sample of about 1,800 faculty on demographic characteristics, employment experiences, the allocation of institutional resources such as laboratory space, professional activities, and scholarly productivity. View more information at the National Academies Press website.

Opportunities to Address Clinical Research Workforce Diversity Needs for 2010 (2006)
This report is about the increasing diversity and age of the U.S. population present new challenges for the U.S. clinical research community, whose role is to develop healthcare therapies and paradigms from the knowledge gained in basic research. A particularly acute challenge is the need to replenish and diversify its workforce, especially physician-scientists and nurses, whose small numbers are insufficient to meet the increasing need for clinical research. This project aimed to identify ways to recruit and retain more women and underrepresented minorities into the clinical research workforce to meet these challenges. This report is currently available as a pre-publication and is available online at the NAP website. View more information at the National Academy Press website.

To Recruit and Advance: Women Students and Faculty in U.S. Science and Engineering (2006)
Although more women than men participate in higher education in the United States, the same is not true when it comes to pursuing careers in science and engineering. To Recruit and Advance: Women Students and Faculty in Science and Engineering identifies and discusses better practices for recruitment, retention, and promotion for women scientists and engineers in academia. Seeking to move beyond yet another catalog of challenges facing the advancement of women in academic science and engineering, this book describes actions actually taken by universities to improve the situation for women. View more information at the National Academy Press website.

AXXS 2002: Achieving XXcellence in Science: The Role of Professional Societies in Advancing Women’s Careers in Science and Clinical Research (2004)
CWSE held a one-and-a-half-day workshop, which gathered representatives   of clinical societies to discuss ways for the societies to enhance the participation of women scientists in the clinical research workforce. The workshop was a follow-up to AXXS 1999, in which representatives of science societies gathered to identify ways to improve the advancement of women in their respective fields. The workshop proceedings are available online on the NAP Website. View more information at the National Academy Press website. 

From Scarcity to Visibility: Gender Differences in the Career Outcomes of Doctoral Scientists and Engineers (2001)
This report compares the career outcomes of women and men scientists and engineers, matched by the same characteristics, across five broad fields: engineering, life sciences, mathematics, physical sciences, and social and behavioral sciences.  The outcomes examined include employment status, salary, rank and tenure status, publications, amount of federal research support, employment sector, and the likelihood of remaining in science or engineering.  In addition, regression analyses look at the differential effects of numerous antecedent conditions, including race/ethnicity, level of parents’ education, citizenship, type of undergraduate institution, marriage, having children, quality of graduate department, and time to the Ph.D.  View more information at the National Academy Press website.

Who Will Do the Science of the Future?: A Symposium on Careers of Women in Science (2000)
Who Will Do the Science of the Future? is the summary of a symposium on careers of women in science held on April 25, 1999 at the National Academy of Sciences annual meeting. The symposium was the first symposium on women in science held by the National Academies and incorporated three panels of presenters: one focusing on the next generation, Science for All Students; a second looking in depth at the issues reflected in one particular field of science, computer science and in particular, academic and industrial computer scientists; and a third focusing on strategies and policies to recruit, retain, and promote career advancement for women scientists. Lastly, there was a plenary address on how to ensure women continue to advance into positions of leadership in science. View more information at the National Academy Press website.

Other Publications Include:

Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering (COSEPUP)
The United States economy relies on the productivity, entrepreneurship, and creativity of its people. To maintain its scientific and engineering leadership amid increasing economic and educational globalization, the United States must aggressively pursue the innovative capacity of all its people—women and men. However, women face barriers to success in every field of science and engineering; obstacles that deprive the country of an important source of talent. Without a transformation of academic institutions to tackle such barriers, the future vitality of the U.S. research base and economy are in jeopardy. 2007.

Biological, Social, and Organizational Components of Success for Women in Academic Science and Engineering:  Workshop Report (COSEPUP)
During the last 40 years, the number of women studying science and engineering (Science and Education) has increased dramatically. Nevertheless, women do not hold academic faculty positions in numbers that commensurate with their increasing share of the Science and Education talent pool. The discrepancy exists at both the junior and senior faculty levels. In December 2005, the National Research Council held a workshop to explore these issues. 2006.

Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers: A Guide for Postdoctoral Scholars, Advisers, Institutions, Funding Organizations and Disciplinary Societies (COSEPUP)
The concept of postdoctoral training came to science and engineering about a century ago. Since the 1960s, the performance of research in the United States has increasingly relied on these recent PhDs who work on a full-time, but on a temporary basis, to gain additional research experience in preparation for a professional research career. 2000.

Women Scientists and Engineers Employed in Industry:  Why So Few?
This report addresses issues facing women entering the profession, working as bench scientists and engineers and as managers of a technological work group.  (130 pp.). 1994.  

Science and Engineering Programs: On Target for Women?
Describes and analyzes a sample of postsecondary programs for recruiting and retaining potential and practicing scientists and engineers.  Major chapters focus on undergraduate education, graduate education, and employment in academe, industry, and the federal government. (216 pp.). 1992. Marsha Lakes Matyas and Linda C. Skidmore, eds.  

Women in Science and Engineering:  Increasing Their Numbers in the 1990s
In addition to providing statistics on the participation of women in the education/employment pipeline, the report summarizes the Committee's deliberations relating to its role in increasing the participation and improving the status of women in science and engineering. The report further offers an ambitious strategic plan of both short-term and long-term activities. (152 pp.). 1991.