Women in Science 2023 @ CMESS

Just over half of the CMESS staff and researchers are women. The team of technical assistants, who – along with the administration – are central enablers of science because they keep the labs and the research in the labs running, is even clearly female-dominated. With the gallery below, we want to shine the spotlight on the many women who drive excellent research and provide the backbone of science at CMESS. This year, the Faculty of Physics, the Faculty of Life Sciences, the Faculty of Computer Science, the Faculty of Mathematics, Research Network Data Science, and the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, which initiated the campaign, are participating in this campaign.

Women in Science deserve particular attention as women are studying in large numbers - at the University of Vienna even more than 60 percent of the students are female. However, the number of women decreases with increasing career level. Career research refers to this as the “leaky pipeline” and the “glass ceiling” which blocks the step to the highest career level. According to an analysis by the University of Vienna from 2021, the life and natural sciences are particularly noticeable here.

“We aim at making the glass ceiling more permeable for female researchers, not only at the Centre, but in our research fields in general,” says Andreas Richter, Head of CMESS. To this end, the CMESS Women's Career Advancement Initiative works on supporting women in in particular, but also young parents in pursuing a successful scientific career. Specifically, the initiative works to enhance the visibility of women in science both internally and beyond academia, and to advance networking. Moreover, it aims to make it easier for young families to reconcile work and family life. This way, the initiative focuses on key issues that research on the gender gap in science has identified to be important elements for career advancement. In its efforts, the support embraces all Centre members who identify as female.