Neuroscience departments and programs in the U.S. and Europe often have a healthy percentage of graduate school applications from women (>50%) but faculty represents only 25-30% of all neuroscience PhD program faculty. Latest data from 2016 for Europe shows that women in STEM made up 37% of doctoral students but held only 15% of full professorship academic positions. Since women are 50% of the population, there are more available datapoints and a larger footprint, but other underrepresented group often experience far worse disparities, prejudices, and lower percentages. In the U.S., Blacks comprise 13% of the population, yet full-time Black faculty in all fields make up less than 6% of total, according to estimates by the National Center for Education Statistics. And, according to the National Science Foundation, for more than a decade only about 5% of the 50,000 students earning PhDs each year are Black. Furthermore, intersectionality – when an individual belongs to more than one disadvantaged group – can worsen the inequity.

• Review your institution’s statistical records for women and other underrepresented groups.
• Find relevant objectives for improving representation across student and faculty departments.
• Strategize on evidence-based actions that can move you towards your goals.
• Set goals, identify bottlenecks, establish timeframes.