The Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine (CWSEM) is a standing committee of the National Research Council (NRC). Its mandate is to coordinate, monitor, and advocate action to increase the participation of women in science, engineering, and medicine. Established in 1990 as CWSE, the committee expanded its scope in 2007 to include medicine.
Learn more about the Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine.
CWSEM HIGHLIGHTS
The White House and National Science Foundation Announce New Workplace Flexibility Policies - September, 2011
On September 26, 2011 the White House and National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the “NSF Career – Life Balance Initiative”, which is a 10-year plan to enhance flexibility for men and women in research careers. View the full press release. These policies include, but are not limited to: delayed starts of NSF funded projects for family-related reasons, extensions of research grant timelines for child birth interruptions, and funding for technicians to perform research in cases of parental leave. These NSF initiatives reinforce efforts by the White House under President Obama to engage government agencies, universities, and industry to institute polices that create greater flexibility in the workplace that lead to optimal work-life balances for both men and women. Additionally, these policies further reflect discussions from the November 2010 Roundtable of Representatives from Federal Agencies and Professional Societies, where CWSEM engaged representatives from relevant stakeholder organizations, including NSF, to address the needs of postdoctoral and early career researchers. View the Meeting Recap.
U.S. State Department Meeting: Changing Mindsets to Promote Women and Girls in Science - June, 2011
June 13, 2011 a symposium “Changing Mindsets to Promote Women and Girls in Science” gathered more than 100 scientists, engineers, educators and representatives from the private sector and foreign governments at the U.S. State Department. The symposium examined programs and policies that are making positive impact on attracting girls to STEM fields, keeping them interested in STEM through college, and providing concrete tools for women to maintain them at every level of their scientific careers. Institutional transformation and practices that help shape perceptions about women, girls and STEM were also discussed at the meeting.CWSEM successfully brought 15 women scientists and engineers from Africa and the Middle East to participate in the symposium and was delighted to be one of the partners supporting this event.
CWSEM Workshop: Blueprint for the Future: Framing the Issue of Women in Science in a Global Context - April, 2011
On April 4, 2011 more than 50 representatives from disciplinary organizations, federal agencies and academic institutions met at the National Academies’ Keck Center for the CWSEM workshop titled “Blueprint for the Future: Framing the Issue of Women in Science in a Global Context”. The workshop reviewed the existing international knowledge base and exemplary policies and programs designed to enhance the status and participation of women in STEM disciplines and careers with a focus on three disciplines: chemistry, mathematics, and computer science. The presentations and discussions helped identify critical gaps in data and research literatures on women in these fields as well as comparative data on international differences and commonalities to pinpoint issues and topics for further research on women in STEM fields that transcend national boundaries. A workshop summary is expected to be published in fall 2011. The workshop agenda, handouts and presentations can be found here.
Meeting Recap for November 2010 Roundtable is Available - January, 2011
The meeting recap, GPS (Grants, Programs, and Support Networks) for Postdoctoral and Early Career Researchers: A Roundtable of Representatives from Federal Agencies and Professional Societies, of November 2010 roundtable is now available. View the Meeting Recap.
