Diversity Fueling Excellence in Research& Innovation

13th  to 15th November, Washington D.C., USA

 The aim of the 3rd Gender Summit, which is focused on North America, is to interconnect all relevant stakeholders in a Call to Action to achieve positive change towards greater diversity in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workforce and leadership, and greater inclusion of biological sex and gender considerations or the “gender dimension” in research content and process.

Background

Established in 2011, the Gender Summit has become the foremost forum for engaging top-level researchers, policy makers, science and innovation leaders, and other and stakeholders in STEM, to address gender issues in research and innovation. The 2013 forum will leverage the international capacity in advancing the knowledge base about the influence of gender considerations on the efficacy, quality and success of various sectors in promoting discovery and innovation in the scientific enterprise.

Overview

The presence of women in science and engineering as experimenters, research subjects, and leaders does matter. However, too often the science and engineering knowledge base has had much more evidence for men than for women.

The research evidence demonstrates also that paying attention to the gender dimension in study design can lead to important discoveries. It has been shown, for example, that the metabolic profiles of women and men are significantly different at molecular level. A new hypothesis is needed to explain sexual dimorphism occurring at the level of biochemical mechanisms that maintain cell’s homeostasis, which cannot be explained by the hormonal hypothesis. Understanding this will have important consequences for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, such as the use of biomarkers in diseases, for example, diabetes and Alzheimer’s, and in aging.

The Gender Summit will bring together a diverse group of national and international experts and stakeholders from various types of institutions to discuss the new perspectives emerging from studies of sex and gender differences and how they create opportunities to be specific about what it means for science to be “gender neutral,” that is, to show that the study design has taken into account the needs of both women and men as equally important. The benefits are considerable, not only for the quality and outcomes of research, but also for new opportunities to apply research findings to create new markets for science knowledge.

The Summit will address the following questions:

• What is the compelling research evidence that demands immediate response?
• What are the most appropriate, beneficial and impactful actions that different stakeholders can take?
• What mechanisms are needed to strengthen inter-stakeholder collaboration?
• What strategy is best to achieve global impact?

Contact:

The National Science Foundation (NSF) 
gendersummit@nsf.gov
www.nsf.gov/od/iia/activities/gendersummit

Register here!

View the full program.

Download the information Flyer here. (PDF)

Tip: More up to date educational events dealing with “Gender equality” can be found online on the Education Database »medicine & health«.