$5 Million provided to Women's Colleges to address STEM Gender Gap by NASA

By: WE Staff | Monday, 19 June 2023

Seven Women's Colleges and Universities (WCUs) will receive more than $5 million in funding from NASA as a part of the Biden/Harris initiative to conduct research and develop strategies that improve the retention of women in STEM degree programs and careers.

The opportunity for Women's Colleges and Universities was developed by the agency's Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) to assist women in overcoming challenges and barriers to build their careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The main aim of this award is to address the gender gap present in the United States and the various experiences that women have in STEM fields, both in higher education and in the workforce.

In a report by the National Center for Education Statistics, the gender gap in education and the workforce is mentioned which states that women earn 59 per cent of undergraduate degrees as compared to men with 41 per cent but only 10 per cent of women's degrees are in STEM fields.

This does not limited to education, the workforce places have seen women make up about 47 per cent of the workforce but, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 27 per cent are in STEM jobs. Less than one in 20 women of color in STEM fields are scientists or engineers. Women make up 26 per cent of the scientists and engineers at NASA.

Gender, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and other identities that may affect students’ careers were taken into consideration while developing these programs. The women college's who have received the prize money will also get a guidebook of information, instructions, and other relevant information.