"Positive action not positive discrimination" - this is the maxim
of UCC's WiSET initiative which was launched today (18 September 2006)
by Professor Dervilla Donnelly, Chairman of the Dublin Institute of
Advanced Studies.
The UCC WiSET initiative - to promote the advancement of women
researchers in science, engineering and technology - is one of
three Institute Development Awards funded by SFI along with one for
Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and another for University of Limerick
(UL). "This pilot initiative, which is for one year initially, is about
raising awareness, changing attitudes, and trying to remove or at least
reduce the barriers that all researchers, but particularly women, face
on the road to developing rewarding careers in science, engineering and
technology" according to Dr Ruth Davis who is leading the WiSET
initiative at UCC.
Dr Davis continued "the business case for encouraging & promoting
women in the workforce is very strong. Ireland has recently
launched its ambitious Strategy for Science Technology and Innovation
for the next seven years. To deliver on this strategy, Ireland needs
well-trained professional scientists, engineers and technologists to
draw on. Over the next seven years the aim is to increase the R&D
workforce in the HE and public sector from its current level of approx.
5,000 to about 8,500 by the year 2013. This will include
recruiting approx 350 new Principal Investigator Scientists, about
1,000 new Postdoctoral researchers and more than 3,500 extra PhD
students. It seems unlikely that these ambitious targets can be
achieved if a very large proportion of the workforce (i.e. the women
researchers in science engineering and technology) is not actively
engaged. This engagement must occur not just at the lower PhD student
and post doctorate levels but also at the higher management levels of
academia and research."
"In the light of these figures and ambitions, therefore, it is
particularly timely that SFI is supporting this initiative and I am
even more delighted that UCC has received one of these Institute
Development Awards to promote the advancement of Women in Science
Engineering and Technology disciplines" she added.
Some of the actions of the WiSET initiative will include providing seed
research funding opportunities that can be accessed by women
(particularly young women at the start of their careers or women who
have had to take career breaks for family or caring reasons) to
kick-start their research activities, promoting networking
opportunities and providing management and administrative support for
women to help keep their research labs running during maternity leave
absences. Other key elements of the pilot initiative include improved
professional development opportunities, the development of a mentoring
scheme and generally raising the profile, both within the university
and outside of it, of the excellent women scientists within UCC.
In addition to the Institute Development Awards, SFI also provided a
major boost for female science and engineering researchers through its
SFI Principal Investigator Career Advancement Awards (PICA), which
provide assistance to academics undertaking research following
maternity, adoptive, carers or parental leave. Under the PICA scheme,
two UCC female researchers Professor Anita Maguire and Dr Geraldine
Boylan each received major research awards. The expected returns on
these investments will include world-class research, positive role
models and increased female participation in Irish science and
engineering research.
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