“When I was a young science student I assumed that science would be an almost pure meritocracy… stop laughing, I was young.”
For the third year in a row, the National Medal of Science recipients were all men, according to a release from the Society for Women’s Health Research. Out of 97 winners over the past ten years, only ten have been women, the Society notes. Says Society CEO Phyllis Greenberger:
When the significant and ongoing contributions of women in science go unacknowledged, it can discourage even the best and brightest women from pursuing a career in these disciplines.
The Society is sponsoring the RAISE project, aimed at making sure qualified women are nominated for awards in science, medicine and engineering. The Society also offers its own award for women who make advancements in women’s health research.
But nothing else can substitute for calling out the National Science Foundation for its blinkered sexism. As usual, Zuska is on the case, and she attracts comments that are a mixture of illuminating and depressing. There’s also a link to a fascinating study on “Nepotism and Sexism In Peer Review.“