The Athena ASSET Surveys 2003 and 2004

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The Athena ASSET Surveys2003 and 2004

• Jan Anderson

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• Background to the Surveys
• Some Results
• What Next

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• Athena Project established in 1999
• Athenas aims are
• To advance and promote the careers of women in
  science, engineering and technology in Higher
  Education and Research and to achieve a
  significant increase in the number of women
  recruited to top posts
• 3 phases
• 1999-2001 encouraging good practice
• 2002-2004 recognising good practice
• 2004-2007 embedding good practice

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Athena achievements by 2003

• Development grants projects in 12 universities
• LAWNs Local Academic Womens Networks in 15
  universities
• 7 Royal Society Athena Awards for good practice
• 27 Reports on good practice
• 30 plus universities working with Athena

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• What ASSET asked participating organisations
• To commit themselves to use the results to
  further Athenas aims
• To complete a good practice checklist
• To provide basic staff information
• To encourage their staff to complete the
  questionnaire
• To commit themselves to use the results to
  further Athenas aims
• What ASSET asked individuals to spend 20
  minutes responding to questions on
• Their career pathways
• Their responsibilities and level of participation
  in a range of activities
• Their aspirations and expectations
• Their perceptions of how they and colleagues are
  valued and treated

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6,726 respondents

• HE 2,747 men 1,535 women (36)
• RIs 1,474 men 970 women (40)
• 130 female professors (16 of all Profs)
• 11 female Research Directors (19 of all Res
  Dirs)
• 60 HE responses were from Russell Group
• 10 HE responses were from Post 92 universities
• Response rates ranged from 5 to 56
• 79 british, 7 european, 6 row

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Respondents subject area
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Age Profile
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Routes to appointments at higher levels
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Diversity
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Encouragement
Current Lecturers encouraged to apply for
Current Senior Lecturers encouraged to apply for
Current Senior Scientists encouraged to apply for
Current Principle Scientists encouraged to apply
for
12
Junior Scientists lack of awareness of promotion
criteria/procedures
13
Contributing factors to career progression the
view of senior scientists

• In HE (Professors)
• Research publications 93
• Obtaining ext research funding 80
• Conference keynote speaker 50
• Attracting new PhD students 45
• Editor of academic journal 28
• Member of editorial board 23

• In Research (Res Dir Pr Sci)
• Research publications 81
• Working on high profile projects 73
• Obtaining ext research funding 63
• Initiating/contributing new projects 55
• Collaborative working externally 45
• Collaborative working internally 41
• International experience 41
• Coordination of research projects 40
• Meeting targets/delivering on time 37
• Networking outside Res Centre 36
• Project management experience 34
• Conference keynote speaker 33
• Networking within Res Centre 33

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Research

• Membership of departmental research group
• Professors Men 86 Women 92
• Senior Lecturers Men 78 Women 66
• Lecturers Men 80 Women 72
• Membership of international research group
• Professors Men 57 Women 65
• Senior Lecturers Men 38 Women 35
• Lecturers Men 35 Women 23

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Invited to attend Conference as keynote -
plenary speaker
Senior Lecturer/ Lecturer Reader
Professor
Women 16 30 78
Men 20 35 74
Sessional chair
Senior Lecturer/
Lecturer Reader
Professor
Women 29 44 89
Men 34 51 82
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Academic Journals
Editor
Senior Lecturer/ Lecturer Reader
Professor
Women 2 7 27
Men 4 13 37
Member of Editorial Board
Women 11 30 82
Men 14 36 74
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What would help respondents own progression-
the view of more experienced scientists
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Significant factors that have helped your career

• Support from colleagues
• Opportunity and luck, being in the right place at
  the right time
• Hard work and initiative
• Support from families
• Mentors
• Fellowships
• Networking

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Perceptions of equality
HE male
R male
HE Female
R Female
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Perceptions of equality (cont)
HE male
R male
HE Female
R Female
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Perceptions of Support and Value
HE male
R male
HE Female
R Female
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Influencing Change - What We Know

• Increasing the supply of graduates does not on
  its own solve the problem
• Women are as academically active but do not make
  it to the top in numbers that reflect their
  abilities and contributions to science
• Heads of departments and senior scientists need
  to take a greater responsibility for career
  progression

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What Athena has achieved so far

• 6,500 plus scientists in universities and
  research institutes completed the questionnaire
• 45 major public sector employers of scientists
  are
• committed to use the results to further Athenas
  aims
• able to compare themselves against other good
  practice employers
• A wealth of information for use by
• SET policy makers
• Social scientists
• Vice Chancellors, Deans of Faculties, Heads of
  departments,
• Scientists
• 60 plus UK universities working with ASSET

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ASSET What Next?

• Dissemination and Action
• - Presentations at AAAS in Washington and 4th
  European Conference for gender equality in
  Higher Education at Oxford Brookes
• - Reports for the Wellcome Trust and Research
  Councils UK (Autumn 2005)
• - The Royal Society Equality Challenge Unit
  Conference for Vice Chancellors (December 2005)
• - Working with senior managers, heads of SET
  departments and women in SET
• Athena SWAN Charter (www.athenaswan.org.uk),
  launched June 2005
• Analysis of free text responses including those
  of returners and further quantitative analysis
• ASSET survey with SET professional societies and
  industry
• ASSET in Europe?
• Establish Key Performance Indicators and
  Benchmarks

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Getting On - what counts?

• Research related activity
• Conference participation
• Visibility
• Ambition