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Gender Equity in Research

Gender Equity in Research

IU Gender Equity in Research Task Force

In September 2020, Indiana University Vice President for Research Fred H. Cate launched the Gender Equity in Research Task Force to address acute equity issues related to the pandemic, study systemic inequities, and suggest short- and long-term actionable solutions within the research context at IU. Since then, the task force has recommended and implemented an emergency funding program, conducted a faculty-wide survey to inform future targeted resources, and is developing recommendations to the Office of the Vice President for research and the university to address inequities among IU researchers.

Survey Finds Negative Impact of Pandemic on IU Research Productivity

More than 2,000 IU faculty and research staff reported substantial decreases in productivity brought about by dramatically increased workloads and caregiving responsibilities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The task force is now crafting actionable solutions based on survey feedback.

Additional Work by the Task Force

Literature Review: Growing Gender Inequities in the COVID-19 Era

The task force has created a robust literature review regarding inequality in academia and beyond exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This growing collection contains relevant scholarly works, includes abstracts, citation information, and, when available, links to full papers.

Scholarly works regarding inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic

Emergency Equity Fund for Research

Recognizing both the magnitude and the urgency of the burden created by COVID-19 on many researchers, especially those with caregiver responsibilities, the task force worked with the Office of the Vice President for Research to create an Emergency Equity Fund for Research.

Announced in December 2020, with a $400,000 investment, the fund provided flexible, rapid awards of up to $2,500 to address critical needs not already met by existing funding sources to advance research productivity.

Specifically, the task force identified the following four categories of support:

stop-gap services (including caregiving, one-time work-from-home needs, food delivery, and other activities) to help free up limited time for research by pre-tenure and/or pre-promotion faculty,
personnel for research (e.g., hourly support to support research and/or aid with course management),
tools for advancing research (e.g., statistical consulting, software to conduct research, data sets, remote access to archives, recording devices and computing technologies, among other related needs), and
write-up and dissemination of research (e.g., copyediting services, subvention or indexing fees, fees for open access publishing, etc.).

The funds have all been conferred and applications are no longer being accepted.

Emergency Equity Fund for Research Award Details

170awards made to faculty on 7 campuses including School of Medicine

$400,000total $ awarded to fund recipients

131 and 39women and men, respectively, who received awards

Let us hear your voice

Please share relevant questions, comments, and ideas with the Gender Equity in Research Task Force at any time by email to research@iu.edu.