SISA5 - Recruiting Women in ICT Research

Maire Brophy, EU Research Manager, University of Dublin, Ireland

Raquel Harper, International Funding Manager, University of Dublin, Ireland

Emma Leahy, EU Grants Manager, University of Dublin, Ireland

In this special interest session we will look at the example of EDGE, an ambitious MSCA programme that aims to recruit and train 71 postdoctoral researchers in the ICT domain. The programme aimed to address gender imbalance in recruitment, retention, development and advancement of women researchers in STEM in general and ICT in particular. 

We will use an interactive approach to examine some of the issues around this complex problem, and engage with participants on measures and outcomes they have experienced. We will present some of the measures used in EDGE and preliminary outcomes it produced to further illuminate the issues. 

The session explores problems of bias and belongingness that are common in STEM fields and in academia in general. Using EDGE we present some practical ways in which they can be addressed, as well as persistent issues that remain unaddressed.

Researcher developers will thus be better equipped to address this particular institution level factor (recruitment) that may serve to reinforce women's underrepresentation in traditionally male-dominated occupations such as ICT.