Broadening Participation at MSRI/SLMath
Prof. Hélène Barcelo
Deputy Director, MSRI / SLMath
Tokyo · September 2022

Gender Balance at MSRI / SLMath
1. Awakening: the pipeline problem is ours.
2. Everyone from building manager to chair of the Board of Trustees has
become invested in making a difference.
3. Governing committees are dedicated to ensuring that diversity,inclusivity, and equity are an integral part of all activities.
4. Special programs have been established to bring to the institute people
who have been historically underrepresented or marginalized.
5. Targeted networking workshops were created to provide a sense ofcommunity.
6. Carefully designed outreach programs were established to welcome
everyone into our mathematical community.

Gender Balance at MSRI / SLMathBy approaching the problem from as many
angles as possible, MSRI has significantly
increased the participation of historicallyunderrepresented groups in its activities.
We can never rest.

Programs (Semester-long), Workshops (Week-long),& Summer Graduate Schools
Planning stages:● Organizing committee:Diverse● Proposals: Diverse list of
potential participants withaccountability● Family support: staff● Helping the organizers(BPAC + HR representatives)

Selection process:● Scientific Advisory Committee(SAC)● Broadening Participation
Advisory Committee (BPAC)

During the Program:● Family support: flexible funds● Connections workshops: open to all; showcase the workof women; networking opportunities; panel; funding● Introductory workshops: help mathematicians breakinto a new area of research; prioritize women, minorities,
mathematicians not located at research centers, andgraduate students.
● Seminar speakers: diverse group● Collegial environment% Women Members from 2006-2022

% Women Members, 2006-2014 / 2014-2022

Effects of Family Funds
Childcare support is important not only for the parent, but also to allparticipants of the program as well, as this comment from a male postdoc
about his mentor suggests:
At the Fall 2018 MSRI program on Hamiltonian Systems I was introduced to [..]. While I wasfamiliar with her work, I had not yet met her at any recent conferences. We started collaborating on
an exciting new project early in the semester and she served as an unofficial postdoctoral mentor
for me, offering feedback on my talks and other career advice. After the MSRI program I started anew postdoc, close to [..]’s home institution. In addition to our continuing collaboration, she hashelped introduce me to mathematicians in this area. Caring for a young child limits one’s ability totravel, and had [..] not been able to attend the MSRI program, my experience in Berkeley would
have been greatly diminished.
— 2018 male participant, Hamiltonian Systems

Decline Rate of Invited Women Program Members

Quotes from Women in Connections Workshops
I appreciated the diversity of the group of participants: mostly female and from manydifferent backgrounds. Scheduling the Connections for Women workshop rightbefore the Introductory Workshop is very effective, since then during the Introductory
Workshop women have already formed some connections with other participants,
and are already familiar with the Institute. Personally, the Connections for Women
workshop has led to a potential new collaboration for me with one of the speakers.
—2017 participantThis is my first workshop that has a gender perspective to it, and I loved it. Not only
was it great not being the only woman in the room, but also the panel discussion
motivated some great discussions and gave some really good points.
—2019 participant

After the Program
Surveys: Crucial at
detecting issues →Collegiality

Introductory workshop of the Microlocal Analysis program, 2019

Reaching Out and Bringing In: Other activities tobroaden participation
SRiM: Space, funding, opportunity for in-person collaboration for small groups ofmathematicians, especially women and gender-expansive individuals whose
ongoing research may have been disproportionately affected by various obstacles
including family obligations, professional isolation, or access to funding. (2 weeksin summer, held at MSRI.)

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2017:
2018:
2019:
2020/21:2022:

4 groups – 13 participants
22 groups – 81 women [6 groups invited – 21 women]
45 groups – 153 women [13 groups invited – 46 women]
80 groups – 296 women [18 groups invited – 83 women]
17 groups – 60 applicants [10 groups invited – ~37 women]

Summer Research in Mathematics (SRiM)
Our [time] at MSRI enabled us todevelop a small project into something
substantial. We are working slowly forexactly the same reasons that [thetime at MSRI] helped us: we are
overflowing with commitments at home(eight children across three authors!),
and the isolation permitted the focus
needed to advance.
-2018 SRiM participant
SRiM Research GroupReaching Out and Bringing In: Other activities tobroaden participation● Summer Graduate
Schools: 2 + 1 + 1 policy● MSRI-UP: For US
citizens

MSRI-UP 2022 with MSRI/SLMath staff

Is it successful? Can we measure outcomes?

● Data comparison with the AMS● Surveys: comparing professional satisfaction● Personal comments

Women Members at MSRI vs US Math Departments

The Continuing Challenge
Building and maintaining an inclusive community is an ongoing challenge. Itrequires us not only to implement activities that support this goal but also to work
to mitigate the effects of long standing inequities. Acknowledging and responding
to the forces that have blocked these goals is our responsibility. Our efforts mustbe broad and intentional across all our activities.
Experience shows that without continued vigilance and effort, the system reverts
to old patterns. Pursuing, refining, and improving our activities, looking for newways to move forward, sharing our experiences, and supporting each other leaves
us hopeful that MSRI/SLMath will help the broader mathematical community
meet the challenge of creating and sustaining inclusive communities.

% Female Summer Graduate School Students

ご招待いただき誠にありがとうございます。

Thank you verymuch for yourinvitation.