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8. MINORITIES AND WOMEN
At i ts pubI i c me et ing, the C ommitte e wa s a ske ~ by sever a ~
Dart icipants to consider problems encountered by minorities
and women in pursuing graduate training and employment in
the biomedical and behavioral sciences. For its analyses
the Committee relied on data from its own survey of recent
graduates in these areas and from another NRC survey of
doctorate recipients. Findings from these surveys were
compared to results from a more detailed study of minorities
and women in all areas of learning (NRC, in press} in order
to provide a perspective.
MINOP.ITIES IN THE BIOMEDICAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
Members of minority groups t--blacks, Chicanos, Puerto
Ricans, Asians, and American Indians--while representing
approximately ~ 7 percent of the U. S. population, constitute
a much smaller proportion of those who obtain research
doctorates in this country. This section deals with
minority individual s with doctorates in the biomedical and
behavioral sciences and indicates some of the factors that
may be relay ed ~ o the underrepresentation of these groups in
aches e areas . The di scus sion and tabulations pre sensed here
focus on native-born U. S. citizens. If naturalized and
foreign citizens were inch uded, the overall figures on
minority representation in the Ph. D. Papua ation would be
greatly inflated {NRC, 1974, pp. 20-23~.
The f igures presented are taken from the Survey of
Earned Doctorates (NEC, 1973-76), which has included a
question on minority status since ~ 973 . Because the . numbers
for groups other than blacks have always been quite smaQ I,
the anal yses that follow do not attempt to dif f erentiate
among the various minorities, excep+ in cases for which the
observed dif ferences are especially large. However, the
Committee ads aware that each m nority group may have had a
different experience in graduate science education.
Over the last four years there has been a gradual
increase in minority representation among doctoral
recipien is in a:] ~ area s of ~ earning . In the b iomedical
sciences there has been a decrease in the percentage of
minors ty scientists. Among native-born {1. S. citizens in
~ 70
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this area, minority members represented 5. ~ percent of 1973
and ~ 974 Ph. D. ' s and 4. 2 percent of ~ 976 doctorate
recipients (Appendix Jig. In the behavioral sciences, on
the other hand, there ha s been an increase in minority
representation. In 1973, 3. 9 percent of behavioral science
doctorates were awarded to minority group members and in
1976, 5.9 percent (Appendix J1} . All groups except Asians
particle pated in this increase to some degree.
The decline In minority representation in the biomedical
sciences, despite an increase in the minority percentage of
all Ph.D. 's, is partly explained in a tabulation of Ph.D. 's
who had received biomedical baccalaureate degrees (Appendix
J2 ~ . Of whites who had received the B. A. in the biomedical
area and subsequently earned doctcrates, approximately two-
thirds received their advanced degrees in the same area.
The percentage was similar for Chicanos and even higher for
Asians. For the other minorities, however, the proportion
of Ph. D . recipients with biomedical bacca ~ acreages who
obtainer] their Ph.D. 's in the same area was considerably
smaller. This was strikingly so among blacks, of whom only
43 .7 percent with biomedical B.A. ' s had completed the Ph.D.
in the same area, whir e 44. 3 percent had obtained doctoral
degrees in education. This shift into educate on has
undoubtedly been a mad or f actor i n the dec ~ ine in the black
representation among biomedical Ph.D.'s.
A similar pattern prevailed for those doctorate
recipients with baccalaureates in the behavioral sciences.
Every group except the Puerto Ricans had a smaller
Proportion than whites of individuals who continued in the
. .
same area to complete the doctorate. Again, less than half
the black Ph.D. recipients with behavioral science
baccalaureates obtained Ph.D.'s in the same area (many held
doctorates in education).
These findings may be explained, in part, by the fact
that education has traditionally been an area with
substantial be ack representation. It is also an area in
which it is possible for individuals Lo earn a living in
their profession whi le obtaining graduate degrees. This may
be a particular concern for many minority members who can
ess afford the costs associated with graduate education.
In ~ he biomedical sciences, small ler proportions of all
minority groups except Asians received their doctorates
before the age of 30, compared to who tes ~ In the behavioral
scar ences, this finding held for all minority groups
(Appendix J3 ~ . In both areas, approximately one-f if th of
the blacks obtained their doctorate s at the age of 4 0 or
ater. Various factors combined to produce this outcome.
In both biomedical and behavioral fields, more minority
members than whites started graduate work after the age of
25. Thi s was true f or every group except American Indians
i n ~ he biomedical sciences and Puerto Ricans in the
behavioral sciences (Appendix J4) . In both areas,
subsolar Tally smaller proportions of blacks started graduate
~ 71
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work before the age of 2 5 than whites, although no such
difference was found among women in the behavioral sciences.
In both the biomedical and behaviors l sciences, minority
members s pen ~ more time away from graduate study than
whites. Asians in the blame Cal fields were the c'nly
exception. Strikingly high percentages of blacks, 28. 7
percent in the biomedical sciences and 2 4. 5 percent in the
behavioral s ciences, spent more than three years away after
ini' icing graduate study (Appendix J5) . It was also found
that all minority group members except Asians hall more
dependent s a t the time the y c ompl e t ed the doc to rate than ~ id
whites {Appendix J61.
These factors may al, contribute to the reluctance of
minority members to enter postdoctoral study. In fact,
Chicanos and As' ens in both areas and Puerto Ricans in the
behavioral sciences showed higher percentages than who tes of
Ph.D. 's planning postdoctoral study, but the proportions for
the 0 ~ her groups, particularly blacks, were much smaller
(Appendixes J7. ~ and J7. 2) . To the extent that in certain
areas, particularly in the biomedical sciences, audit tonal
training beyond the Ph. D. is required, blacks Ray have been
ef fictively discouraged from initial entry into graduate
educe' ion in such an area.
Utilization of training after receipt of the doctorate
does not appear to be a problem for minorities at- this time.
With the exception of American Indians in the behavioral
sciences, the percent age of minority individuals with firm
empl oym~nt c o~runi~ meets at th e ti me the degree wa s awe rded
was similar to that of whites (Appendix Jet. Of those with
employment plans, similar proportions of whites and
minorities reported these commitments to be in the area of
the doctoral degree (Appendix J91. In the biomedical
sciences, a slightly higher percentage of minority than
white doctorate recipients had such plans, and in the
behavioral sciences the proportion was slightly smaller for
minority individuals.
The Committee believes that the evidence cited above
clearly indicates that additional efforts must be made to
provide more opportunities for minorities to enter and to
complete without undue delay predoctoral training programs.
Hence, the Committee urges that special policies be
developed by the funding agencies that are targeted directly
to the needs of minoring ies . Such programs should be in
addition to the Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC}
and Minority Biomedical Support (MBS) programs of NIH, and
the program of ADAMHA that provides training funds to
s e le ate d net i one l pro f e s s iona l sac i eti e s, wh i c h in tu rn
award fellowships to minorities in the behavioral sciences.
. . .
Recommendations. In order to encourage more minority
appl icants to enter and complete graduate training without
172
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undue delay, the Committee recommends that: ~1) AL:AMHA
provide predict oral support f or minor) ties starting with the
first year of graduate training (instead of the third year
under current pol icy), and (2) special effort be made by
each agency ~ o encourage qualified minority applicants to
undertake postdoctora ~ training by establishing a special
postdoctoral fellowship program targeted to minorities.
WOMEN IN THE BIOMEDICAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
Representation of women among U. S. doctorate recipients has
changed drama~ical~ y over the last decade. The proportion
of women receiving doctorates has doubled during this time, 2
going from ~1. 6 percent in 1966 {NRC, 1976-77, 1976 report,
p. 4) ~ o 23.3 percent in 1976 (NRC, 1976-77, 1977 report, p.
4) . Women now comprise 23.3 percent of the doctorate
recipients in the biomedical sciences and 33.4 percent in
the behavioral sciences (Appendix Jig. These changes have
occurred dur ing a time in whi ch many barriers to graduate
study for women have disappeared. This trend was
i, lustra~ed by findings from the Committee' s survey of
recent Ph.D. 's, which showed only small differences between
the number o f men and women with graduate training support
by traineeships/fe~ lowships and research grants (Appendixes
B18. 1, B18.2, E16.1, and E16.2} .
Nevertheless, to some extent the graduate training
patterns of women sty ll differ from those of men. Numerous
s' udies have pointed out that, while the median age at
comp lesion of the degree is simi lar for both sexes, there is
a broader range for women (Astir, ~ 969; Carnegie Commission
on Higher Education, ~ 973; Centra, ~ 974) . This Proved to be
the case for recent degree recipients in the biomedical and
behavioral sci ences, as shown by the data from the Survey of
Earned Doctorates. That survey showed that simile ar
proportions of men and women completed the doctorate degree
before the age of 30, but women represented a smaller
proportion of the 30 to 3 9 age-group and a larger proportion
of the over-40 group (Appendix Jag. One factor in this
difference is the fording that women are more likely to
begin graduate training after the age of 35 (Appendix J4)
and, as a group, women take more time out from graduate work
after they have enro1 led. This pattern Is more distinctive
in the biomedical than the behavioral sciences (Appendix
Jay. Such results have led a number of observers to suggest
that spe c ia ~ con s ide ration s i ~ admi ssion be given to c iaer
women and that part-time study arrangements be made for
women who have acquired dependents before undertaking
graduate work.
In addition to such issues in graduate training, it is
Of ear that women are likely to encoun' er greater problems in
the utilization of their training. According to the
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commi~tee's survey of recent doctorate recipients, women
were less likely than men to find the overall Ph. D. training
relevant to their present employment situation (Appendixes
B9 and E91. This evaluation is more an accurate reflection
of the general employment situation of women than of their
recent training experience. Following recei pt of the
degree, women with biomedical and behavioral science
doctorates spent less time than men in full-tire employment
and more time than men in part-time work, in seeking
employment, and in postdoctoral study (Appendixes B' and
E1. 1) . The same situation prevailed at the time of the
survey in October 1976 (Appendixes E2 and E2. 1) .
Findings also showed that women were more likely than
men to be employed in educational institutions and less
likely to work for government (Appendixes B3 and E3. 1) .
They were less likely than men to be engaged in
administrati on or management and, in the behavioral
sciences, less likely To spend some time in research
(Appendixes BE and E4. 1) . In terms of measures of
professional success, women still clearly lag behind men.
Women were less ~ ikely than their male counterparts to have
achieved tenure and, in the biomedical sciences,
cons i derabI y le s s li ke ly to be in tenu re- track pos it i ons
(Appendixes B12 and E12. 1) . In every employment sector in
both areas and in all age-groups (except among behavioral
scientists below the age of 30) , women earned less ~ hen men
(Appendixes J10. 1, J10. 2, and JO 0. 3) .
Many of ~ hese differences in the professional
utilization of men and women di sappeared when data from the
Comrnit~ee's survey of recent Ph.D. Is were analyzed by
marital status. Single women in both fields spent as much
total time fully employed following receipt of the degree as
single men and much more total time than married women
(Appendixes J] ~ and J12} . Marital status did not affect the
holding of postdoctoral fellowships for women but did f or
men; single men were much more likely than married men to
have held or be holding such appointments. Among women who
took postdoctoral appointments soon after the degree,
however, married women were much more likely than sing] e
women to cite lack of employment as the reason for doing so
(Appendix J] 3) .
The data showed that single women were more like, y than
married ones to be in =ducationa l institutions (Appendix
J] 4} . This has been the alternative traditionally preferred
by professional women, and it may be that single status
permits the mobi Pity or barge inir.g power needed to achieve
such positions. In both areas the single women spent a
smaller portion of their time in research than married women
{Appendix J] 5) . In the academic labor force, single women
were more likely than married ones to be in ~enure-track
positions. However, single scientists of both sexes were
less likely than married men to hold such positions
(Appendix J] 6) . Married women were less likely to find the
174
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overall doctoral experience relevant to their e~FIcyment
situation than either single men or single women. Married
men were most likely to find this experience relevant
(Appendix J171.
The Committee does not believe that any specific
recommendations concerning the support of women under the
NRSA program is necessary except for that rooted in Chapter 9
concerning payback provisions by women who must interrupt
their training because of pregnancy. The Committee does
urge that academic departments continue to recognize some of
the disparities noted in this report and give greater
emphasis to providing teaching and research assistantship
opportunities to women in the future.
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FOOTNOTES
1 . For capsule descriptions of the various minorities, see
NEC (~ n press) .
2. Although data on the number of women earning doctorate s
are ava-' ~ able as far back as 1920, figures we'= reported
only for the last ~ 0 years, since this is the period in
which the greatest increase has occurred.
176
Representative terms from entire chapter:
biomedical sciences
