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PARTICIPATION IN THE NATIONAL SCIENCE ADVISORY APPARATUS
Pages 99-116

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From page 99... ... Although peer reviews of research grants and fellowship applications are made on scientific merit alone, different individuals may view merit from different perspectives, and the sum of reviewers' ratings results in quality judgments that will help to determine which applications are funded and therefore, how policy is in fact carried out. Policy advisory groups, by definition, act in a much broader sphere, and their findings and recommendations set the stage for policy-making bodies such as the National Science Board or the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Read the entire page →
From page 100... ... . In the hierarchy of science policy advisory groups, peer review committees, site-visit teams, and a variety of specialized subcommittees are the farm teams for the major leagues (the many boards and commissions that deal with more explicit science policy issues on a broader scale) Read the entire page →
From page 101... ... Some advisory groups, however, are appointed directly by the agencies requesting their services. Because of the difficulties of obtaining comparable data from many and diverse sources, we have not attempted a comprehensive review of all national science advisory bodies, but have focused on four major groups closely related to academic science -- the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council, the National Institutes of Health, the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration (ADAMHA) Read the entire page →
From page 102... ... The situation is rather different in the National Academy of Sciences (founded 1863) , which elected its first woman member in 1925 and a total of ten women in its first 107 years, prior to 1970. Read the entire page →
From page 103... ... National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, National Research Council. National Academy of Sciences, Washington, October 1977. Read the entire page →
From page 104... ... National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, October 1977. It should be remembered, however, that the criteria for committee membership differ from those for election to the Academy. Read the entire page →
From page 105... ... 0 CJ > CO CO COCOCO OO O O H •^ Read the entire page →
From page 106... ... TABLE 5.4 Participation in Executive Committees of Assemblies and Commissions Assembly of Behavioral and Social Sciences Number of Participants Number of Percent of Women Women 18 4 22.2% Assembly of Engineering 20 1 5.0 Assembly of Life Sciences 15 1 6.7 Assembly of Physical Mathematical and Sciences 19 1 5.3 Commission on Human Resources 15 2 13.3 Commission Relations on International 10 2 20.0 Commission on Natural Resources 14 0 0 Commission Systems on Sociotechnical Total 11 0 0 122 11 9.1% Source Organization and Members, 1977-1978 , National Academy of Sciences National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, National Research Council , National Academy of Sciences , Washington, D.C., October 1977. Read the entire page →
From page 107... ... National Science Foundation The National science Foundation's several Directorates each have an advisory committee and these in turn have subcommittees. In addition, some directorates primarily utilize peer reviewers for handling proposals. Read the entire page →
From page 108... ... TABLE 5.6 Sex Composition of National Science Foundation Advisory Committees 1972-1977 NUMBER OF NUMBER OF PERCENT YEAR MEMBERS WOMEN WOMEN FY 1972 358 14 4 FY 1973 389 33 8 FY 1974 411 32 8 CY 1975 652 67 10 CY 1976 747 81 11 CY 1977 926 131 14 Data furnished by Becky Winkler, Committee Management Coordinator, National Science Foundation 108 Read the entire page →
From page 109... ... 4-> IA cn ^° ^f CM CM CO , -- co co CM CM iD CO 1 OJ CC •<»• ro • -- i HI CC ^3- cvj , -- I C 0 4-t i E; O __ ^D Of CO o iL. Read the entire page →
From page 110... ... . In addition to social scientists, and especially psychologists, however, ADAMHA committee membership includes substantial representation of psychiatrists, social workers and staff members of drug abuse, alcohol or mental health centers and clinics. Read the entire page →
From page 112... ... As currently coded, for example, these data would permit analysis by sex of the percentages of appointees who have accepted or declined appointment, distribution according to types of degrees, the proportion of appointees who have held prior appointments to NIH committees, the employment sector of appointees, and committee members' rank in their employing institutions. An Overburden on Women Scientists? Read the entire page →
From page 113... ... Secondly, we must make some educated guesses regarding the size of the pool of potential women committee members, particularly for technical committees where the dominant qualification sought is expertise in a sometimes narrow field. Less clear is the question of whether advisory bodies dominated by men may arrive at conclusions which differ from those potentially reached by sex-balanced bodies, and whether such a potential flaw adversely affects the usefulness of their decisions. Read the entire page →
From page 114... ... In an era when science policy decisions are increasingly under public scrutiny and must be more responsive to public perceptions of their impact than in the past, it seems insensitive, at the least, to ignore half the public. Decisions about energy policy, conservation, recombinant DNA research, health, or chemicals in the environment affect Read the entire page →
From page 115... ... Conclusions and Recommendations We are encouraged to note that the rate of election of women to the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine during the last few years is beginning to approach the current presence of women scientists at levels commensurate with such recognition. We trust that the rate of increase will keep pace with the growing numbers of women scientists who achieve distinction, and that their greater representation will also shortly afford them more opportunities for leadership within the Academies and the National Research Council. Read the entire page →
From page 116... ... Fremeau, Committee Management Officer, NIH. Read the entire page →

From page 99...

... Although peer reviews of research grants and fellowship applications are made on scientific merit alone, different individuals may view merit from different perspectives, and the sum of reviewers' ratings results in quality judgments that will help to determine which applications are funded and therefore, how policy is in fact carried out. Policy advisory groups, by definition, act in a much broader sphere, and their findings and recommendations set the stage for policy-making bodies such as the National Science Board or the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

PARTICIPATION IN THE NATIONAL SCIENCE ADVISORY APPARATUS Pages 99-116

PARTICIPATION IN THE NATIONAL SCIENCE ADVISORY APPARATUS
Pages 99-116