How Diversity Matters in the U.S. Science and Engineering Workforce: Integration and Inclusion in Teams and Departments

This document summarizes the proceedings of the Scientific Workforce Diversity Seminar Series (SWDSS) virtual seminar “How Does Diversity Impact Science?” The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Chief Officer for Science Workforce Diversity (COSWD) office hosted the seminar on May 17, 2022. Approximately 675 people from NIH and other organizations attended. Marie A. Bernard, M.D., COSWD, moderated a panel discussion on the evidence regarding the impact of diverse, inclusive teams on creativity, innovation, and productivity in science. Six invited speakers with workforce diversity expertise shared perspectives and presented their research, including how to measure the impact of diversity and potential areas for future study. Presentations by the panelists were followed by a question-and-answer session moderated by Dr. Bernard. This document details the main points from the invited speakers’ presentations and the ensuing discussion on what diversity brings to the scientific endeavor. The seminar recording and panelists’ presentation materials are on the COSWD website

Immigrant Entrepreneurs in the Massachusetts Biotechnology Industry (2007)

Immigrant entrepreneurs are co-founders in 25.7 percent of Massachusetts Biotechnology firms. In 2006, these immigrant-founded biotechnology companies produced over $7.6 billion dollars in sales and employed over 4,000 workers. The foreign-born founders came from across the globe but in larger numbers from Europe, Canada or Asia. Their firms specialize in the most complex, risky, life science-intensive aspects of biotechnology to seek knowledge directly applicable to human health. Biotechnology is a crucial industry for Massachhusetts and the evidence strongly suggests that immigrants have been key contributors to this industry by establishing new businesses as well as bringing intellectual capital and thereby contributing significantly to the overall economic growth of the Commonwealth

Collaboration and Gender Equity among Academic Scientists

Universities were established as hierarchical bureaucracies that reward individual attainment in evaluating success. Yet collaboration is crucial both to 21st century science and, we argue, to advancing equity for women academic scientists. We draw from research on gender equity and on collaboration in higher education, and report on data collected on one campus. Sixteen focus group meetings were held with 85 faculty members from STEM departments, separated by faculty rank and gender (i.e., assistant professor men, full professor women). Participants were asked structured questions about the role of collaboration in research, career development, and departmental decision-making. Inductive analyses of focus group data led to the development of a theoretical model in which resources, recognition, and relationships create conditions under which collaboration is likely to produce more gender equitable outcomes for STEM faculty. Ensuring women faculty have equal access to resources is central to safeguarding their success; relationships, including mutual mentoring, inclusion and collegiality, facilitate women’s careers in academia; and recognition of collaborative work bolsters women’s professional advancement. We further propose that gender equity will be stronger in STEM where resources, relationships, and recognition intersect—having multiplicative rather than additive effects

UMass ADVANCE STEM Pandemic Effects by Gender and Time of Hire 2022

In this research brief, we describe some of the key findings from this survey, focusing on patterns among STEM faculty by gender and new hires (whether they joined UMass before or since 2019, given the impact of the pandemic on faculty life). We explore whether and how the intersection of gender and time of hire affect STEM faculty decision-making, feelings of inclusion, and research collaboration

UMass ADVANCE STEM Race and Gender Findings 2022

The UMass ADVANCE program is working to ensure greater equity among faculty through the power of collaboration. In the 2022 ADVANCE survey, 273 UMass faculty from 32 STEM departments in CICS, CNS, College of Engineering, and SBS responded. In this research brief, we describe some of the key findings from this survey, focusing on patterns among STEM faculty by gender and race. We explore whether and how the intersection of gender and race affect STEM faculty inclusion, shared decision-making, and research collaboration

Faculty Collaboration and Equity: UMass ADVANCE Report on the 2022 Survey

Research collaboraion is closely related to research productivity and career development. The UMass ADVANCE program is funded by the Natonal Science Foundation (NSF). It aims to transform the UMass campus through the power of collaboration, and advance women faculty in STEM, including women faculty who are diverse by race/ethnicity, nationality, sexuality and other measures. Through analyzing data collected in a faculty survey at UMass Amherst, this report examines faculty experiences on three crucial topics: research collaboration, inclusive community, and departmental decision-making, with a focus on STEM faculty. This report further considers how the COVID-19 pandemic has shaped faculty experiences. Ultimately, informed by the ADVANCE R3 model4 for supporting faculty collaboration (centering on resources, relationships and recognition), we seek to understand if there is equity in allocating necessary resources, accessing relationships with colleagues, receiving recognition for their work among faculty with diverse identities and from different fields. What are the positive and negative experiences among faculty? What needs to be improved

UMass ADVANCE STEM Decision-Making Findings 2022

Shared decision-making refers to faculty having opportunities to engage in discussions, voice their opinions, and have those opinions recognized as departments make decisions. While the university has a long history of faculty-led governance, there has always been substantial variability between departments. In addition, the pandemic has depressed opportunities for faculty to work together to make formal and informal decisions

UMass ADVANCE STEM Caregiving and Gender Findings 2022

In this research brief, we describe some of the key findings from this survey, focusing on patterns among STEM faculty by gender and caregiving status. We explore whether and how the intersection of gender and caregiving status affect STEM faculty inclusion, shared decision-making, and research collaboration