Us-UAE Workshop: "Building MENA Women's Associations in Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

OISE-1019261 This award is for Summary: The proposal is for support of a U.S.-UAE workshop on building Science and Engineering Associations for Women in Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Countries scheduled for May 2-4, 2010 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The project is a follow-up to the recently completed program ?Professional Mentoring of Women in Science and Engineering? funded by the State Department, which brought 19 Arab women from MENA countries to the University of Michigan-Dearborn (UM-Dearborn) for an 8 week fellowship for professional mentoring and to create a sustainable network between the women and their university and industry mentors. The workshop will include participants from the initial program, US engineering and natural science faculty, and other US and MENA academic and industry participants. There will be approximately 100 participants, including 10 female faculty members from the U.S. funded by this proposal. The US organizer is Dr: John Cristiano, of the UM-Dearborn Intellectual Merit: The workshop is to bring women in science and technology together to further and foster international collaborations and to build research and networking skills among the participants from the US and from the MENA region. The participants will identify best practices for forming collaborations including mentoring and industry interactions, and discuss ways to create science and engineering associations, and to stimulate technical collaborations between Institutions in MENA and the US. Topics to be discussed are IT, computer, civil and mechanical engineering as well as natural sciences. Participants will discuss global questions including network security and environmental issues. Recommendations will be made to adopt the most suitable potential research topics in the context of socio economic and environmental considerations. Establishment of a US-MENA ?Research Collaboration Opportunities? database is planned to foster future collaborations among workshop participants and other STEM women. The PI will prepare a report on the workshop to include recommendations for ?next steps? and a third-party evaluation of the program. Broader impacts: The workshop will increase the participation of women from both US and MENA countries. Increasing the participation of US female faculty will provide an opportunity for them to connect globally with women who share common research interests. It will serve as catalyst in the formation of associations to support potential research collaboration. The new association will help support research funding opportunities and sharing new research approaches and ideas. Dissemination of the information regarding research challenges, collaborative partners and funding opportunities will be shared on public website. Teaching women scientists and engineers how to build associations and international collaborations has the potential for very broad impacts within the researchers? home countries. The award funds will fund six senior and four junior scientists/engineers from the U.S. The workshop will help increase the number of female US faculty members participating in activities with the MENA region. This project is jointly funded by the Office of International Science and Engineering and the Program of Diversity and Outreach in the Directorate of Engineering.