The complex reasons women receive fewer research grants

'Fewer women researchers mean fewer women applicants, in turn, leading to fewer women receiving grants.'  A new article co-authored by Professor Emma Johnston, University of Sydney Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), unearths the ambiguous issues underpinning the lack of research grants for women. It likely comes as no surprise that women receive a smaller share of research funding than men. But untangling the underlying reasons is no small feat. A recently published  international review  spanning 45 years found that women accounted for just under a quarter of awards. But  our own study of 48,061 grants  awarded in Australia by the  Australian Research Council  and  National Health and Medical Research Council  over 20 years points to a complex issue that extends beyond granting systems: fewer women researchers mean fewer women applicants, in turn leading to fewer women receiving grants. The international scene. In the recent international review, the authors synthesised evidence from 55 studies from 14 countries including the United States and Canada, and the European Union, from 1975 to 2020.