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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. The Impact of COVID-19 on the Careers of Women in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26061.
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THE IMPACT OF COVID-19
ON THE CAREERS OF WOMEN IN ACADEMIC
SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE

Eve Higginbotham and Maria Lund Dahlberg, Editors

Committee on Investigating the Potential Impacts of COVID-19 on the
Careers of Women in Academic Science, Engineering, and Medicine

Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine

Policy and Global Affairs

A Consensus Study Report of

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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, DC
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. The Impact of COVID-19 on the Careers of Women in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26061.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

This activity was supported by contracts between the National Institutes of Health (IDIQ contract HHSN263201800029I, TO #75N98020F00008), the National Science Foundation (Award #OIA-1762395), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (Contract #SB134117CQ0017, TO #1333ND20FNB100250), the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (Award #G-2020-13993), and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (Award #2020136). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-26837-0
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-26837-0
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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. The Impact of COVID-19 on the Careers of Women in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/26061.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. The Impact of COVID-19 on the Careers of Women in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26061.
×

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The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. John L. Anderson is president.

The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president.

The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine.

Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. The Impact of COVID-19 on the Careers of Women in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26061.
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Consensus Study Reports published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine document the evidence-based consensus on the study’s statement of task by an authoring committee of experts. Reports typically include findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on information gathered by the committee and the committee’s deliberations. Each report has been subjected to a rigorous and independent peer-review process and it represents the position of the National Academies on the statement of task.

Proceedings published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine chronicle the presentations and discussions at a workshop, symposium, or other event convened by the National Academies. The statements and opinions contained in proceedings are those of the participants and are not endorsed by other participants, the planning committee, or the National Academies.

For information about other products and activities of the National Academies, please visit www.nationalacademies.org/about/whatwedo.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. The Impact of COVID-19 on the Careers of Women in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26061.
×

COMMITTEE ON THE INVESTIGATING THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF COVID-19 ON THE CAREERS OF WOMEN IN ACADEMIC SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE

EVE J. HIGGINBOTHAM (NAM) (Chair), Vice Dean of Inclusion and Diversity, Senior Fellow in the Leonard Davis Institute of Health, and Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania

ELENA FUENTES-AFFLICK (NAM), Professor and Vice Chair of Pediatrics, Chief of Pediatrics at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, and Vice Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

LESLIE D. GONZALES, Associate Professor in the Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Learning Unit in the College of Education, Michigan State University

JENI HART, Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Studies and Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, University of Missouri

RESHMA JAGSI, Newman Family Professor and Deputy Chair in the Department of Radiation Oncology and Director of the Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine, University of Michigan

LEAH JAMIESON (NAE), Ransburg Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, John A. Edwardson Dean Emerita of the College of Engineering, and Professor by courtesy in the School of Engineering Education, Purdue University

ERICK C. JONES, George and Elizabeth Pickett Endowed Professor and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in the College of Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington

BERONDA MONTGOMERY, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics in the Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory, and Interim Assistant Vice President of Research and Innovation, Michigan State University

KYLE MYERS, Assistant Professor of Business Administration in the Technology and Operations Management Unit, Harvard Business School

RENETTA TULL, Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, University of California, Davis

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. The Impact of COVID-19 on the Careers of Women in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26061.
×

Study Staff

MARIA LUND DAHLBERG, Study Director

ARIELLE BAKER, Program Officer

IMANI BRAXTON-ALLEN, Senior Program Assistant

JEENA M. THOMAS, Program Officer

THOMAS RUDIN, Director, Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine (until November 2020)

BARDIA MASSOUDKHAN, Senior Finance Business Partner

JOE ALPER, Consulting Editor

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. The Impact of COVID-19 on the Careers of Women in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26061.
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COMMITTEE ON WOMEN IN SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE

GILDA BARABINO (NAE/NAM) (Current Chair), President, Olin College of Engineering

JOAN WENNSTROM BENNETT (NAS) (Previous Chair), Distinguished Professor of Plant Biology and Pathology and Associate Vice President in the Office for Promotion of Women in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics, Rutgers University (Chair until December 2020)

NANCY ANDREWS, (NAS/NAM) Dean of the Duke University School of Medicine and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Nanaline H. Duke Professor of Pediatrics, and Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University

MAY BERENBAUM, (NAS) Professor and Head of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

ANA MARI CAUCE, President, University of Washington (until December 2020)

VALERIE CONN, President, Science Philanthropy Alliance

MACHI DILWORTH, Vice President (Retired), Gender Equality and Human Resource Development, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (until December 2020)

EVELYNN M. HAMMONDS, (NAM) Barbara Gutmann Rosenkrantz Professor of the History of Science, Professor of African and African American Studies, and Chair of the Department of the History of Science, Harvard University

HILARY LAPPIN-SCOTT, Professor, Cardiff University, United Kingdom

ED LAZOWSKA, (NAE) Bill & Melinda Gates Chair, Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington

VALERIE TAYLOR, Director, Mathematics and Computer Science Division, U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory

Ex-Officio Members

ELENA FUENTES-AFFLICK, (NAM) Home Secretary of the National Academy of Medicine, Professor and Vice Chair of Pediatrics, Chief of Pediatrics at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, and Vice Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

CAROL K. HALL, (NAE) Home Secretary of the National Academy of Engineering, Camille Dreyfus Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. The Impact of COVID-19 on the Careers of Women in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26061.
×

SUSAN R. WESSLER, (NAS) Home Secretary of the National Academy of Sciences, Neil A. and Rochelle A. Campbell Presidential Chair for Innovation in Science Education, University of California, Riverside

Committee Staff

AUSTEN APPLEGATE, Research Associate

ARIELLE BAKER, Program Officer

ASHLEY BEAR, Senior Program Officer

FRAZIER BENYA, Senior Program Officer

IMANI BRAXTON-ALLEN, Senior Program Assistant

MARIA LUND DAHLBERG, Senior Program Officer

MARIE HARTON, Program Officer

ALEX HELMAN, Program Officer

REBEKAH HUTTON, Program Officer

THOMAS RUDIN, Board Director (until November 2020)

JEENA M. THOMAS, Program Officer

JOHN VERAS, Senior Program Assistant

MARQUITA WHITING, Senior Program Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. The Impact of COVID-19 on the Careers of Women in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26061.
×

Preface

“A year like no other”1 is an often-repeated phrase, given our collective experiences during 2020. The day before the start of the New Year, a mysterious illness was reported in China after dozens of people visited a live animal market in Wuhan. The first death was reported in mid-January. By the end of January, the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency, and the first suspected case was reported in the United States at the end of February. It was not until March 2020 that a federal emergency was declared, and since then we have been on what feels like a collective roller coaster, punctuated by fear, sadness, and hope.2

As I write this Preface during the close of 2020, the Food and Drug Administration provided emergency approval of a COVID-19 vaccine, the United States once again experienced its highest daily reported number of COVID-19–related deaths, the Supreme Court recently dismissed a lawsuit intended to overturn the outcome of last month’s presidential race, and institutions and organizations across the nation are shifting to more intentional strategies to address structural racism. Added to the backdrop of this theater of disruption, there have been record-breaking fires on the West Coast and hurricanes and tornados elsewhere. Once again, the significant rise in COVID-19 cases across the country has translated into school districts, restaurants, and brick-and-mortar businesses closing down. To complete the image of this moment, the passage of a much-needed federal relief bill remains uncertain. Even as I reflect on the ongoing effects of

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1 Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain. COVID-19: Twelve key milestones in a year like no other. November 26, 2020. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-11-covid-twelve-key-milestones-year.html.

2 E. Schumaker. Timeline: How coronavirus got started. ABCNews. September 22, 2020, 11:55 a.m. Available at https://abcnews.go.com/Health/timeline-coronavirus-started/story?id=69435165.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. The Impact of COVID-19 on the Careers of Women in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26061.
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climate change, protests calling for social justice, and the impact of economic volatility, it is clear that this year is only a preview of similar confluences of disruptors to come.

It is incredible to believe that less than 1 year ago, the report Promising Practices for Addressing the Underrepresentation of Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine3 (the Promising Practices report) was released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. As a reviewer of that consensus study report, I appreciated the summary of the current state of the representation of women across disciplines, the focus on intersectionality, particularly Women of Color, and the impressive list of evidence-based interventions that was advanced as promising practices. It provided a platform for launching, with renewed vigor, initiatives that may enable us to turn the corner and accelerate the advancement of women in academia. Considering that more than half of the population in the United States identifies as women, if we do not address our underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM), the country is leaving an enormous magnitude of intellectual capital on the table. Innovation, enhanced decision-making, and profitability of corporations have been attributed to greater diversity.4 Indeed, given the enormous value of diversity, the subtitle of the Promising Practices report, “Opening Doors,” inspires an element of optimism and hope that continued progress is within our grasp.

It is fortunate that the sponsors of this current report, the National Institutes of Health, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, National Science Foundation, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, partnered with the National Academies to stand up this committee to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the academic careers of women in STEMM. After all, in these unprecedented times, the interventions enumerated in the Promising Practices report were no longer grounded in an environment that was encased in certainty. The questions that were embedded in our Statement of Task for this report were relevant and critically important to the future representation and viability of academic women in STEMM. Was there harm imposed on women when specific interventions were undertaken? Are women and men affected differently when these interventions are implemented? What are the unique challenges that women are facing during this COVID-19 pandemic? What are the early indicators of impacts to the career trajectories of women in STEMM? These are critical questions to better understand how we as an academic community can emerge from this pandemic with continued advancement of women rather than a

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3 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Promising Practices for Addressing the Underrepresentation of Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Opening Doors. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25585.

4 U.S. Glass Ceiling Commission. 1995. Good for Business: Making Full Use of the Nation’s Human Capital. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/key_workplace/116/.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. The Impact of COVID-19 on the Careers of Women in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26061.
×

reduction in the engagement of women in our scientific workforce and a deflation in the expanse of dreams of durable professional careers. An appropriate subtitle for this report, building on the work of the Promising Practices report, may have been “Keeping the Doors Open—Key Questions Unanswered.”

Predictably, there was not a massive body of peer-reviewed literature upon which the committee could determine its list of findings and proposed research questions. However, five commissioned papers in key topical areas provided a rich resource for the committee’s deliberations. Career trajectories, work-life integration, collaboration and networking, leadership and decision-making, and mental health and well-being made up our foci. We also addressed important cross-cutting issues such as the impact of the pandemic on Women of Color. From a range of literature sources, including reviews of relevant material from before the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors of the commissioned papers provided the committee with evidence to support a set of key findings and develop research questions for further investigation. Given how much is at stake, understanding the impact of COVID-19 on the careers of women in STEMM is of utmost importance.

On a personal level, I relate to many of the challenges described in this report and admit that the intensification of them during the current pandemic is nearly unimaginable. My caregiving responsibilities and the difficulties of integrating my personal and professional responsibilities were heightened in the middle of my career, following Hurricane Katrina. My parents, who were in their 90s at the time, came to live with my husband and me in Maryland. Although our family home in New Orleans was fine, I did not believe the health-care system and social services infrastructure in my hometown had recovered enough to effectively care for my parents living alone. My husband and I quickly shifted to preparing regular meals at home, hurriedly sought out caregivers to come in periodically to assist us, and ensured that we made all of their necessary doctors’ appointments between our professional commitments. Taking up caregiving responsibilities after work, preparing the pill boxes late at night, and canceling visiting professorships at the last minute because of periodic emergencies and hospital admissions were new challenges that I had not previously experienced in my adult working life. Indeed, I wrote fewer papers and accepted fewer speaking invitations, deepening my personal concern that my profession would perceive these absences more harshly, considering that I am a woman, and particularly as a Woman of Color.

I recognize that if I had experienced these challenges earlier in my career, I would never have made it to positions of department chair or dean. With the added constraints and circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, I acknowledge that mothers today have taken on the roles of teacher and caregiver, often without the possibility of external assistance that was available to me. Moreover, I was fortunate to have a supportive spouse; however, in the absence of a partner, there is rarely time for self-care, scholarship, or other professional responsibilities. Our

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. The Impact of COVID-19 on the Careers of Women in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26061.
×

gendered roles in society take on added emphasis during periods of stress, the timing of which can make or break careers. It is time for institutions to consider new strategies to support the careers of women across their entire career timeline and embrace professional norms to alternative constructs other than a “hustle” culture.

It is my hope that this report will not only advance the discussion about how best to enhance the representation and vitality of academic women in STEMM, but create an awareness about the adverse impact that these unprecedented times will have on women going forward. It is also my hope that the research questions posed by this committee will translate into enduring solutions that will strengthen institutional interventions to weather future disruptions.

I appreciate the wisdom of the National Academies and our sponsors to take on this topic, the trusted guidance of the staff of the National Academies, the authors of our commissioned papers who sought the evidence that was needed, and the generosity of valuable time and energy of my fellow committee members who were so willing to expertly share their wisdom on prolonged Zoom calls. At our last meeting, I closed our session with the following quote, which has been attributed to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.”5 It is my dream that the promise of the research that evolves from the questions that have been posed will not only shed a light on the opportunities to listen, learn, strategize, and implement, but will effectively facilitate our shared journey toward gender equity in academia.

Eve Higginbotham, Chair
Committee on Investigating the Potential the Impacts of COVID-19 on the Careers of Women in Academic Science, Engineering, and Medicine

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5 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., quoted by the National Museum of African American History and Culture. https://www.si.edu/spotlight/mlk?page=4&iframe=true.

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. The Impact of COVID-19 on the Careers of Women in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26061.
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Acknowledgment of Reviewers

This Consensus Study Report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.

We thank the following individuals for their review of this report: Huda Akil, University of Michigan; Robin Bell, Columbia University; Michelle Cardel, University of Florida; Reginald DesRoches, Rice University; Kathryn Holland, University of Nebraska; Monica Johnson, Washington State University; Karen Kafadar, University of Virginia; Christy Lemak, University of Alabama; Eleni Linos, Stanford University; Tony Liss, The City College of New York; Nancy Rigotti, Massachusetts General Hospital; and Sonia Zárate, Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Katherine Freeman, Pennsylvania State University, and Bryna Kra, Northwestern University. They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. The Impact of COVID-19 on the Careers of Women in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26061.
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The spring of 2020 marked a change in how almost everyone conducted their personal and professional lives, both within science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) and beyond. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global scientific conferences and individual laboratories and required people to find space in their homes from which to work. It blurred the boundaries between work and non-work, infusing ambiguity into everyday activities. While adaptations that allowed people to connect became more common, the evidence available at the end of 2020 suggests that the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic endangered the engagement, experience, and retention of women in academic STEMM, and may roll back some of the achievement gains made by women in the academy to date.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Careers of Women in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine identifies, names, and documents how the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the careers of women in academic STEMM during the initial 9-month period since March 2020 and considers how these disruptions - both positive and negative - might shape future progress for women. This publication builds on the 2020 report Promising Practices for Addressing the Underrepresentation of Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine to develop a comprehensive understanding of the nuanced ways these disruptions have manifested. The Impact of COVID-19 on the Careers of Women in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will inform the academic community as it emerges from the pandemic to mitigate any long-term negative consequences for the continued advancement of women in the academic STEMM workforce and build on the adaptations and opportunities that have emerged.

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