A group of NIH grantees convened last November to present and discuss their studies on causal factors and possible interventions affecting the representation of women in biomedical and behavioral research and engineering. Their work is funded through a trans-NIH initiative spearheaded by NIGMS and the Office of Research on Women’s Health. Through this effort, NIH is gathering evidence that will help guide future plans and actions in this arena. Here are several key areas of focus that are emerging from the research:

• Bias is powerful and often unconscious, but it can be measured, and it can be altered.
• Mentor networks are often more effective than mentor pairs.
• Workplace culture affects career satisfaction and performance, and aspects of culture can be measured and changed.
• Institutional flexibility policies are typically under-recognized and under-used, in part due to ingrained academic culture and lack of leadership buy-in.

For more on the workshop, read the just-posted summary.