Washington State University Receives $3.69 Million Grant to Bolster Female Faculty in Engineering, Math, Sciences

Washington State University has received a $3.69 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to increase the representation and advancement of faculty women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

The five-year grant, awarded under the National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE program, will be used to develop and disseminate new strategies for faculty recruitment, retention and advancement, according to Candis Claiborn, dean of the College of Engineering and Architecture, and one of the grant’s co-principal investigators.

Women remain significantly underrepresented on the science and engineering faculties of research universities. At WSU, women make up less than 15 percent of the STEM faculty, said Robert Bates, past provost and principal investigator on the grant. More than ever there is a dramatic need for qualified engineers and scientists to solve critical national and global challenges like energy and the environment. “We are underutilizing half of the population in addressing these issues,” said Claiborn.

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