Women scientists to funding more difficult to apply?

Women scientists from the American government to apply for research funding will be less than their male counterparts do? The earliest a cross-sectoral survey: sometimes true. However, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) raised some objections: because some agencies did not get the necessary data before making conclusions, GAO hopes to find new ways to figure out this problem - this is the three Democratic Women MPs requirements; In addition, even the existence of differences in terms of grant applications, but may not lead to discrimination due to gender; and finally, some of the IMF did not follow the strict legal requirements to track major colleges and universities in the allocation of funds in compliance with the principle of gender equality .

GAO wish success rate in grant applications as indicators of whether women receive different treatment. It is collected from 2009 to 2013 to study funded by six IMF (ranging from basic research to applied research, from theoretical science to engineering sciences, etc., account for 90% of the entire US research funding) application data. The results show: the two largest IMF: NIH and NSF, the female and male scientist in the grant application success rates are similar.

But there are also bad news: the data Energy Sciences Office of the Defense Office of Naval given, the success rate of male funding applications 7% and 6%, respectively, than women. But because the two institutions are not systematically collect the applicant's materials, it is difficult to directly answer whether there is gender discrimination.

However, the lack of data is not blocked GAO determination. They NSF conducted "Dr. survey respondents' questionnaire results are analyzed, the survey data on the sources of funding include nearly one million scientists and engineers have their own submission. These data can provide information on whether they are subject to gender-based discrimination in accepting funding from NIH, NSF, DOE and DOD and other agencies.

Overall data show that: women scientists in NIH funding by one-third more than the men. However, DOE, women get funded only one-third of men.

GAO believes that the main reason for this difference is the difference between the applicant group. Women researchers focused on the biomedical field, but relatively few physical sciences and engineering fields related to DOE and DOD support. This makes women in NIH, NSF range is funded within rather than men.
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