Collaborative Research: Understanding Gender Differences in STEM Academic Careers

Trustees Of Boston University, Boston

Investigators

Abstract

This award funds research that uses data from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) to consider women's academic career progression in STEM disciplines. The team will use a new dataset, the Survey of Doctorate Recipients Productivity Database (SDRPD), which includes publication and patent data for PhD scientists who participate in the NCSES Survey of Doctorate Recipients. The team will first produce a technical report that details the characteristics of these data to aid a broad and interdisciplinary community of scientists. They then plan to use the data to evaluate possible causes for the already documented gender gaps in STEM publication and citation by controlling for demographic, family, and employer characteristics. The results of this project can be used by universities and funders who want to develop policies designed to address barriers faced by women in academic STEM disciplines. Economic theory predicts that gender differences in productivity will lead to gender differences in career outcomes. Without data that includes information both on productivity and on individual demographic factors, we cannot tell, for example, if women in STEM face a larger productivity gap if they have children, or if women scientists find it more difficult to move for a new job. The project will also evaluate the quality of SDRPD and will provide technical documentation for the research community interested in using the data.