摘要

Several recently released, widely circulated reports suggest that considerable efforts and resources must be expended to attract more people, especially women, into science, mathematics, engineering, and technology to meet the projected shortage of technically trained workers, particularly in information technology. Highly trained and educated women scientists and engineers represent a group towards whom resources need to be shifted to help them in resolving problems and critical issues in their careers so that they will remain to meet workforce shortages. An exploration of issues identified by academic women scientists and engineers who received National Science Foundation (NSF) Professional Opportunities for Women in Research and Education (POWRE) awards in fiscal years 1997, 1998, and 1999 yields valuable information about challenges and opportunities for retaining women in careers in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. These data are particularly timely because of the national interest in the decision of NSF officials to phase out POWRE and replace it with new initiatives, as reported in the July 24th issue of Science (Mervis, 2000b).