Connecting Women and Completing the Circuit of International Research Collaboration

Mary Lynn Realff

Georgia Institute of Technology

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Georgia Institute of Technology

WIRES3June 2014

Norway

A partnership with European Commission – European Center for Women and Technology (ECWT)

wiresnetwork.org

Topical workshops

Summit

Education and outreach

Research on

collaboration and gender

On-line research

meetings

Skills building

workshopsWIRES ambassadors

Collaboration & technology

to market

Connecting Women and Completing the Circuit of International Research Collaboration

The WIRES Network• Working towards Women-led teams to engage in

meaningful and sustained research.

• WIRES Network Participants are collaborating to solve the large engineering problems of the world

• WIRES is connecting women from different countries and continents who have similar career experiences. They are

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continents who have similar career experiences. They are engaged in research collaboration and also sharing career experiences, challenges and successes.

• WIRES1 and WIRES2 Summit Participants act as role models for other women who want to engage in international research collaborations.

• WIRES1 and WIRES2 provides evidence of considerable impact in terms of publications, new collaborations and joint research projects

WIRES Research Findings

1. For professionals in Europe and US, the three highest barriers to international research collaborations are obtaining funding, finding collaborators, and managing work commitments.

2. The lowest reported barriers among professionals in 2. The lowest reported barriers among professionals in Europe and US are communication, family commitments, and concern about time involved in collaboration.

3. US respondents perceive barriers differently for themselves compared to “other women in own institutions.”

Collaboration PosterTraditional poster sessions are designed to convey technical

information and if collaborations are initiated, it is a “plus.” Here

we focus on identifying collaborators and technical information is

exchanged to enable the collaboration.

Collaboration Poster

Concise

description of

research

program

Area of

research

Results of a

few research

projects to

provide an idea

of research

interests and

Type of

partners who

would be a

good fit with

research

interests

research

expertiseinterests and

contributions

Research

facilities that

are available

for research

collaboration

Participant Directory

The WIRES participant directory contains all of the women

engineers who were interested in international research

collaborations and is available online at

www.wires.gatech.edu.

Proposal Development QuestionsGeneral topic of the proposal: ________________________________

Proposed Project Team:Name Expertise Comment_________________ __________________ ___________________________________ __________________ __________________

“G. H. Heilmeier's \Catechism" for evaluating a research project1. What are you trying to do? (Articulate your objectives using absolutelyno jargon.)no jargon.)2. How is it done today and what are the limits of current practice?3. What is new in your approach and why do you think it will be successful?4. Who cares? If it is successful, what difference will it make?5. What are the risk and the payoffs?6. How much will it cost? How long will it take?7. What are the midterm and “final" exams to check for success?

Time-lineDate Action Who is responsibleJuly 2014

September 2014

Essential Skills Sessions

• Every WIRES includes sessions that address essential skills that help women’s career development

– WIRES3 (2014) Technology to Market (T2M), Innovation, and Entrepreneurship

– WIRES2 (2011) Negotiation skills and “Critical Friends” network building workshops

– WIRES1 (2009) Gender Equity Issues that would benefit from a global strategy

Connecting Women and Completing the Circuit of International Research Collaboration

WIRES3 Summit will focus on research

in engineered solutions to

– improve and make urban infrastructure

resilient and sustainable

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–provide sustainable energy

–meet today’s information technology

needs and plan for the future.

Connecting Women and Completing the Circuit of International Research Collaboration

WIRES On-line Discussions(spring and summer 2013)

• Urban Infrastructure, 12 March at 10-11am

• Sustainable Energy, 28 March at 10-11am

• The Grid, 17 April at 10-11am

• Biofuels, 30 April from 11am – 12pm

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• Biofuels, 30 April from 11am – 12pm

• Learning & Gender Studies, 6 May, 10-11am

• Materials, 22 May, 9am-10am

• Information Technology, 18 June,

• Water, 26 June, 7-8am

• Wind Energy, 11 July, 9-10am

• Urbaninfrastructure, 23 July, 9-10am

• Nanotechnology, 8 August, 9-10am

Connecting Women and Completing the Circuit of International Research Collaboration

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Connecting Women and Completing the Circuit of International Research Collaboration

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Connecting Women and Completing the Circuit of International Research Collaboration

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Connecting Women and Completing the Circuit of International Research Collaboration

Research

Interests

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Other

Interests

Dekoju!Dekoju!

Thank You!