Gender underlies the formation of STEM research groups

Area of Science:

• Academic research
• Gender studies
• Sociology of science

Background:

• Research groups are vital to scientific advancement.
• Understanding the influence of leader gender on research group formation and organization is lacking.
• This knowledge gap impacts understanding gender structures in academia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how research group organization is influenced by the gender of the research group leader.
• To identify gender-based patterns in research group composition and trainee supervision.
• To explore the factors contributing to observed gender disparities.

Main Methods:

• Email survey distributed to department chairs and discipline-specific listservs.
• Data collected from 275 female and 175 male research group leaders.
• Respondents represented various scientific fields including biology, psychology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics.

Main Results:

• Men reported overrepresentation in physical science research groups, particularly at later career stages.
• In biology, both male and female leaders supervised more same-gender trainees, especially early in careers.
• Gender differences in applicant pools were the primary driver, with acceptance rates playing a lesser role.

Conclusions:

• Findings highlight gendered patterns in research group formation and trainee recruitment.
• Implications for women's progression in professorial roles and recruitment of young scientists are discussed.
• Addressing applicant pool disparities is crucial for promoting gender equity in research groups.