In addition, a woman scientist who chooses to re-enter a scientific career track after an extended hiatus often has a particularly difficult time. Without retraining, the opportunities for resuming a scientific career are significantly reduced. Tenure tracks and research fellowships typically demand the fulfillment of obligations within specified time periods, with few alternatives or substitutions. The goal of this program is to encourage fully trained women and men to re-enter an active research career after taking time off to attend to family needs. The Speakers Bureau makes available a listing of research scientists and clinicians from NIH who have volunteered to speak to school and community groups in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area.
Special effort is made to ensure both gender and ethnic diversity among volunteers.
Speakers are available to cover more than 200 topics, including those of special interest to women and minorities, information on career paths in science, and information about biomedical discoveries. Scientists trained in research often have little experience writing their results or giving scientific presentations. ORWH allocates funds to the Office of Science Education to support two new programs. Writing About Science teaches young researchers how to write their research results in a clear and cogent fashion. Priority is given to re-entry awardees.