National Leadership Workshop on Mentoring Women in Biomedical Careers MEETING PROCEEDINGS

National Leadership Workshop on Mentoring Women in Biomedical Careers MEETING PROCEEDINGS Office of Research on Women’s Health, National Institutes of Health U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES This report was compiled by Jennifer Reineke Pohlhaus, Ph.D., Marsha S. Love, M.A., Joyce Rudick, Janine Austin Clayton, M.D., and Vivian W. Pinn, M.D., for the National Institutes of Health Working Group on Women in Biomedical Careers and the Office of Research on Women’s Health. Acknowledgements On behalf of the National Institutes of Health We are pleased to have the collaboration of the (NIH) Working Group on Women in Biomedical Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, Careers, the Office of Research on Women’s and Medicine (CWSEM), a standing committee Health (ORWH) acknowledges the efforts of of the National Research Council (NRC) that the Workshop Planning Committee (Appendix serves as an institutional focal point in support B) in preparing for and implementing this of complementary activities across the National workshop. The following members of the Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Planning Committee, in addition to ORWH Engineering, and Institute of Medicine, with a Staff, guided the design and content of the mandate to increase the participation of women workshop: Dr. Barbara Alving, NIH; Dr. Molly in science, engineering, and medicine. CWSEM Carnes, University of Wisconsin; Ms. Valarie believes in collaboration among professional Clark, Association of American Medical societies and organizations as a key element in Colleges; Dr. Mary Clutter, NSF (former); Dr. developing effective programs and practices to M.R.C. Greenwood, University of California; encourage the retention and success of women Dr. Phoebe Leboy, Association for Women in scientific, engineering, and biomedical fields, in Science and University of Pennsylvania and that creating opportunities for young School of Dental Medicine; Dr. Nancy Neilsen, women professionals to establish mentoring American Medical Association and University relationships is essential to sustaining women of Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical in these disciplines and helping them advance Sciences; Dr. Eugene Orringer, University of into leadership positions. We hope that this North Carolina–Chapel Hill; Dr. Joan Reede, collaborative support will continue through Harvard Medical School; Dr. Sue Rosser, other cooperative efforts to positively impact Georgia Institute of Technology; Dr. Walter scientists and engineers and their careers. Schaffer, NIH; Dr. Joan Schwartz, NIH; Dr. Jeanne Sinkford, American Dental Education Finally, we are grateful for the hundreds of Association; Dr. Lawrence Tabak, NIH; and women and men who traveled to Bethesda, Dr. Hannah Valantine, Stanford University. Maryland to attend the workshop, and those who participated via Webcast, for continuing We acknowledge the special efforts of Work- to focus on the important issues of recruitment, shop Co-chairs, Dr. Mary Clutter and Dr. retention, reentry, and advancement of M.R.C. Greenwood, in assisting with develop- women in biomedical research careers. ing the agenda and confirming speakers, as well as continuously making themselves available to provide advice and input at a moment’s notice. In addition, we thank all of the Speakers, Panelists, and Concurrent Workshop Chairs Vivian W. Pinn, M.D. and Co-chairs who made this workshop a Director, Office of Research on Women’s Health reality, especially those who changed their Associate Director for Research on Women’s schedules to participate. Health, NIH OFFICE OF RESEARCH ON WOMEN ’S HEALTH , NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH • iii Table of Contents Title Page . .i Acknowledgements . iii Foreword . vii Executive Summary . .1 Introduction .........................................................1 Background..........................................................1 Mentoring Overview . 2 Workshop Themes....................................................5 Workshop Recommendations . .5 Mentoring Tips and Best Practices .......................................11 Future Actions . 12 Meeting Proceedings ...................................................13 I. Opening Session ...................................................13 II. Opening Keynote Address . 16 III. Panel One: Models of Successful Mentoring ............................17 IV. Panel Two: Transforming Leadership in Mentoring: Challenges for Developing and Sustaining Leadership . 23 V. Reflections from the NIH Director . 27 VI. Keynote Address . .28 VII. Perspectives on Approaches to Eliminating Bias and Barriers...............29 VIII. Concurrent Workshops ...........................................30 IX. Closing Summary: Lessons Learned and Actions for the Future . .45 Appendix A: NIH Working Group on Women in Biomedical Careers ..............47 Appendix B: Workshop Planning Committee . 48 Appendix C: Workshop Agenda ...........................................49 Appendix D: Poster Titles and First Authors .................................53 Appendix E: Speaker Biographies . .55 Appendix F: Bibliography ................................................79 OFFICE OF RESEARCH ON WOMEN ’S HEALTH , NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH • v Foreword The United States has long depended on a Nonetheless, in spite of increased access, there talented and advanced workforce in scientific has not been a corresponding increase in women and professionally related fields to sustain our in leadership positions, as stressed in the recent national economy, national security, health report by the National Academies, Beyond Bias security, and environment. Critical science and Barriers, Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic policy documents, beginning with Vannevar Science and Engineering. Indeed, recently there have Bush’s Science, the Endless Frontier, have stressed been disturbing signs of women dropping out. that for the continued success of our Nation, In addition, the rate of entry for males is, at best, we must nourish our science-based talent and constant, and too dependent on international grow our cohorts to meet advanced technology talent. This has now led to the interesting and population demands. For many decades, change that efforts to recruit and keep women we filled our science- and health-related pro- in science careers is no longer a matter of fessional ranks with mostly white males drawn fairness, access, and redress, but has become from our rapidly improving and growing essential to the Nation’s long-term security and research universities. While there was con- success. These observations have suggested that siderable evidence that women were capable in continuing efforts to improve our national talent scientific fields, there was scant representation pool must include not only inspiring female in most fields, with the exception of the fields students and ensuring access to advanced pro- of nursing, dental hygiene, and elementary grams but also ensuring advancement, develop- science teaching. ment, and successfully sustained leadership. With the advent of the women’s movement, The National Academies report, Beyond Bias and agencies, universities, and many other sectors Barriers, Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic began to question why there were so few women Science and Engineering challenged Universities, in these fields. In 1992, one of the first meetings Professional societies, Federal Agencies and on the status of women in science and health Congress to take action to address these issues. careers was convened by the newly established National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of NIH, in its role as the leading agency support- Research on Women’s Health. The public hear- ing medical research, accepted the challenge, ing and workshop on Recruitment, Retention, and is to be commended for its action and Reentry, and Advancement of Women in foresight. Dr. Elias Zerhouni, NIH Director, Biomedical Careers, summarized in Women in established the NIH Working Group on Women Biomedical Careers: Dynamics of Change, Strategies for in Biomedical Careers and asked Dr. Vivian Pinn the 21st Century, was an important milestone to be Co-chair. Eleven subcommittees were for women in science, giving credibility to created to address the following issues: Best the emerging discussion on the importance practices to sustain career success, Extramural of improving the representation of women funding mechanisms and policies, Efficacy of in health and other sciences. programs to reduce gender bias; Examination of Title IX enforcement; Mentoring programs; For much of the ensuing 16 years, many efforts Recruitment, retention, reentry, and advance- were directed toward inspiring women to enter ment of women at NIH; and Integration of fields of sciences and to redress the discrimina- women into bioengineering fields. tory climate that many women believed existed. These efforts have met with much success in In order to ensure that talented women are several fields and lesser, but still hopeful, suc- successful and to safeguard our Nation’s role cess for women gaining access in other scientific in science for the future, we must be clear that fields. For example, during the past 40 years, aiding and abetting this effort is everyone’s there has been steady growth in the number of responsibility in the national interest. Clearly, women entering biomedical careers. At present, a multipronged approach is needed to make that includes about 50 percent of M.D.s and progress. The workshop title, National Leader-

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