Women in Biomedical Research: Best Practices for Sustaining Career Success
March 4–5, 2008, Natcher Conference Center, Bethesda MD
Workshop Details
Title:
“Women in Biomedical Research: Best Practices for Sustaining Career Success”
Date and Location
March 4–5, 2008 for 1.5 days in the Natcher Auditorium on NIH Main Campus in Bethesda MD
Purpose
The conference will highlight organizations and policies that are successfully addressing the major barriers in the career development of women in biomedical sciences (childcare responsibilities and the resulting need to “restart” the clock, need for personal sabbaticals, mentoring, executive and team leadership training, and promotion to senior leadership positions).
Meeting Format
The conference will have a feature similar to that of a “consensus conference” with a small committee, chosen prior to the conference, to track the sessions and to meet at the end of the first day to summarize the presentations and discussions and to provide the summary the following day as well as a draft of outcomes and action plan for moving forward. The draft will be further discussed after the presentation on day 2. This committee will work together to draft the summary on the evening of day 1 in preparation for presentation on day 2.
Each speaker can address the programs across the range of barriers but may choose to highlight a particular program in the organization (i.e., mentoring etc).
To foster dialog and participation, the meeting format will include a question and answer session after each speaker as well as a short panel discussion at the end of each block of sessions.
Expected Outcome
Conference committees will develop a list of real or potential “best practices” along with consideration of potential costs that can be adapted or piloted by academic health centers to improve the retention and advancement of women in biomedical careers. The conference attendees will discuss the specific roles of the NIH and other organizations in increasing the career success of women in the biomedical sciences. Conference summary to be placed on web and will be published.
Planning Committee
A Trans-NIH planning committee, functioning as a subcommittee of the NIH Working group, has been formed.
- Barbara Alving, Chair (NCRR)
- Kameha Kidd (NCRR)
- Jennifer Pohlhaus (OD/ORWH)
- Louise Ramm (NCRR)
- Joan Schwartz (OD/OIR)
- Janine Smith (NEI)
- Mona Trempe (NIGMS)
- Kathy Zoon (NIAID)