AI can be sexist and racist — it’s time to make it fair
Nature
Computer scientists must identify sources of bias, de-bias training data and develop artificial-intelligence algorithms that are robust to skews in the data.
News from other media
Leaky pipeline for women scientists dries up after they win first big grant
Nature
Once female scientists nab a US National Institutes of Health grant, their careers tend to last nearly as long as those of men.
Women Making Science Videos on YouTube Face Hostile Comments
The New York Times
After studying 23,005 comments left on videos about science and related topics, a researcher says, “I could see why people would not want to be on YouTube.”
Germany’s prestigious Max Planck Society investigates new allegations of abuse
Nature
Anonymous survey of young scientists reveals fresh accusations of bullying and harassment at astrophysics institute.
Special Issue: Gender and Masculinities in Careers and Leadership in Higher Education
GST
Special issue from International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology (GST) Vol 10, No 1.
The Scottish universities finally achieving gender equality
The Herald
Scottish universities are close to achieving a historic 50:50 balance between men and women on their governing bodies for the first time ever.
Sexual harassment is rife in the sciences, finds landmark US study
Nature
Existing policies to address the issue are ineffective, concludes a long-awaited report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
Sexual harassment isn’t just about sex
Science
Groundbreaking report details persistent hostility female scientists face and notes that many surveys fail to rigorously evaluate sexual harassment.
What does it take to make an institution more diverse?
Nature
Six researchers share their ideas for improving representation.
Applicant’s race or gender don’t appear to influence NIH peer reviewers
Science
An unusual experiment to test whether an applicant’s apparent race or gender influence how their grant proposal is scored has found no evidence of bias.
Why do Gulf states outperform West on female STEM participation?
Times Higher Education
Data from THE’s World University Rankings underscore that many more women are studying some science subjects in the Mena region.
The National Academy Of Sciences Hasn’t Ousted Sexual Harassers
BuzzFeed
A petition with 1,000 signatures is calling for the National Academy of Sciences to oust members for sexual misconduct.
Challenging gender stereotypes in science
European Commission
By developing gender-inclusive guidelines and criteria for schools, museums, science centres and industry, an EU-funded project aims to attract more young people, especially girls.
We Asked About Your Experience of Racism. Here’s What You Told Us
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Earlier this week, The Chronicle Review published an essay by George Yancy, "The Ugly Truth of Being a Black Professor in America".
6 Things Successful Women in STEM Have in Common
Harvard Business Review
For years, companies, universities and nonprofits have researched the reasons why women are less likely to enter STEM fields.
Famed cancer biologist allegedly sexually harassed women
Science
Inder Verma, the prominent geneticist and cancer scientist who has made his mark on U.S. research for decades, has sexually harassed women for just as long.