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Women scientists at UK universities are more ambitious than their male counterparts but feel they lack the support and encouragement needed to progress in their careers, according to preliminary findings from a survey of more than 6,500 scientists which are being presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington today (Friday 18 February).

According to the survey, which was carried out by the Athena Project and the University of East Anglia, 68 per cent of women professors have ambitions to be head of a research group, compared with only 49 per cent of their male counterparts. Similarly, 36 per cent of women senior lecturers have ambitions to be a member of senior management, compared with only 29% of men. However, women are not being encouraged to apply for more senior posts as often as men. For example, with senior lecturers, 41 percent of men, but only 27 per cent of women, said they had been encouraged to apply for professorial positions.

Caroline Fox, Athena Programme Manager, said: “These preliminary findings dispel any ideas that women are less ambitious to succeed in science than their male counterparts. Those women professors who are already doing well are clearly far more driven than the men they work alongside, and this may be part of why they are already doing well. But the sad fact is that those further down the scale are still not rising to more senior positions with the same frequency as men, despite a clear desire to do so.”

Jan Anderson, UEA’s Survey Office, said: “We know encouragement breeds success. But we have to ask if women do not hear the words of encouragement or whether, for them, the encouragement is indeed absent? These national surveys have provided us with an enormously rich source of data. Results will enable universities and policy makers to focus on areas of change that will improve the recruitment, retention and advancement of women scientists.”

The survey closed just 2 months ago and analysis is still at a preliminary stage with full results becoming available later in the year. However, other initial findings show:

• Higher proportions of men than women experience key, high-profile roles and responsibilities.
• Most scientists who have achieved success say they were encouraged to take the next step in their career progression. However, fewer than 50 per cent of women scientists aged 35-50 feel they are encouraged to develop their CV or given the opportunity to serve on important departmental committees.
• Significantly lower percentages of women than men feel their departments value their contributions.
• Women are more successful at achieving a post on their first application, yet 44 per cent of women feel disadvantaged in terms of promotion. (Whereas only 14 per cent of men believe women are disadvantaged in terms of promotion.)
• Research output and attracting research funding are seen as the key contributing factors for career progression. Conference keynote speaking was identified as another significant factor. However, women scientists have less experience in this area than men and women’s overall visibility appears to be lower.

Useful links
Caroline Fox's presentation to the American Association for the Advancement of Science:
‘UK assets: 6,500 plus UK scientists can’t be wrong the Athena surveys’