Most scientists would agree that success in science should solely be determined by the merit of one’s contributions. However, success in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) is still profoundly influenced by race, gender and socioeconomic status. For instance, numerous studies documented the gender bias throughout the publication process: women publish less than men[1], are less likely to be in first position among authors who contributed equally[2], and are less cited than men[3]. These disparities impact careers as publication productivity and citations are key elements in evaluation processes. Gender disparities are also noticeable on less externally constrained behaviors as the number of questions asked in large scientific conferences[4]. Yet, as concerning this overview may be, collective discussions among scientific peers have proven to efficiently mitigate the gender-gap in question asking behavior. Encouraged by this precedent, we think that scientific conferences, by their collective nature, are the ideal opportunity to discuss these inequities and challenge them. We propose reproducing the observational study of Tellis et al and to foster a discussion on inclusivity during the upcoming JOBIM conference (Journées Ouvertes en Biologie et Mathématiques). By doing so, we expect to promote a more welcoming scientific environment and progress one step toward a scientific community that would not overlook any worthy contributions.
QUALIFICATIONS
The position requires solid knowledge in social sciences and gender studies. The applicants should therefore have substantial educational background in these fields. The call addresses specifically master 2 students. The internship will be paid for a 6 month period starting in February or March 2021.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Interested applicants should send their curriculum vitae, a cover letter, and contact information from at least one referee (e.g. teacher or previous internship mentor) to Eng. Rachel Torchet and/or Dr. Hanna Julienne. More information about our group can be found here : https://research.pasteur.fr/en/team/bioinformatics-and-biostatistics-hub/
PUBLICATIONS
[1] https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0183301
[2] https://elifesciences.org/articles/36399
[3] https://www.nature.com/news/bibliometrics-global-gender-disparities-in-science-1.143 21
[4] https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0002929719302290