NSF PR 01-79 - October 9, 2001
NSF Announces Institutional Transformation Awards
Under "ADVANCE"
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced
the first set of ADVANCE institutional transformation
grants which seek to ensure fuller participation and
advancement of women faculty in science and engineering.
NSF's ADVANCE program will support eight universities
that will address these needs through multi-year grants
of $3- to $4 million each. The institutions selected
for the new awards have examined their current policies
and practices and developed plans to pursue new organizational
strategies to make access by women to the senior and
leadership ranks of university faculties a priority.
"Academic institutions play a pivotal role in preparing
the science and engineering work force, and their
faculty and leaders serve as intellectual, personal
and organizational role models that shape the expectations
of future scientists and engineers," said Alice Hogan,
NSF's ADVANCE program manager. "Ensuring that the
climate, the policies and the practices at these institutions
encourage and support the full participation of women
in all aspects of academic life, including leadership
and governance, is critical to attracting students
to science and engineering careers."
The eight awards are part of a comprehensive effort
undertaken by the foundation to diversify the scientific
work force. The intent is that the activities undertaken
by these institutions will become models that may
be replicated in institutions throughout the nation.
"Intellectual diversity helps give our nation its competitive
edge," NSF Director Rita Colwell said. "ADVANCE is
an innovative program that promises to challenge assumptions
and inspire change in the way we make science and
engineering careers welcoming to all. These awards
represent a substantial commitment by a diverse set
of institutions to alter the way we approach participation
in science and engineering careers. I thank these
colleges and universities for taking on this challenge,
and I look forward to working with them."
Although women earn 40 percent of all doctorates in
the United States, they continue to be underrepresented
in almost all science and engineering fields. Women
make up 22 percent of the science and engineering
workforce in general and less than 20 percent of the
science and engineering faculty in four-year colleges
and universities.
Attachment: List of ADVANCE
Institutional Transformation awards.
Attachment
ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Awards
The Georgia Institute of Technology is creating
a network of termed professorships, institutionalizing
a formal training process on tenure and promotion,
gathering information on equity and advancement. Holding
leadership retreats, and strengthening family-friendly
practices.
New Mexico State University has committed to
increase the number of women in its tenure-track positions
in science, mathematics and engineering and will establish
a Committee on the Status of Women to monitor progress
and to identify ways in which university programs
can be better targeted to support the advancement
of women.
The University of Washington is creating a Center
for Institutional Change to transform the culture
in science, engineering, and mathematics on campus.
Activities will include leadership development, department
cultural change, policy transformation, mentoring
women faculty, and creating a transitional support
program for faculty.
The University of Puerto Rico, Humacao, will
improve training for new faculty and administrators
to improve gender equity.
The University of Colorado, Boulder, will increase
the number of women serving in academic leadership
positions in science, mathematics, engineering and
technology programs through its Leadership Education
for Advancement and Promotion Program.
The University of Michigan is launching a campus
climate initiative, a gender equity resource fund,
and a department transformation initiative to provide
interventions to improve opportunities for tenure-track
women faculty in basic science and engineering fields.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is establishing
a National Women in Science and Engineering Leadership
Institute to gather data, monitor results, and disseminate
information on the best practices for advancing women.
As part of its chancellor’s endowment goals, the university
is including the creation of ten professorships for
the advancement of women in science and engineering.
The University of California-Irvine will establish
equity advisors in each science school to assist in
recruitment, mentoring, retention and advancement
of faculty; appoint two ADVANCE chairs, to be awarded
to tenured faculty in the sciences with strong academic
credentials and a demonstrated commitment to gender
equity, conduct gender awareness workshops for faculty
and administrators; and monitor gender equity issues
on an ongoing basis.
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