This award is to provide support to a workshop entitled "GENDER EQUITY: STRENGTHENING THE PHYSICS ENTERPRISE IN UNIVERSITIES AND NATIONAL LABORATORIES" to be held by the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics (CSWP) of the American Physical Society (APS). The workshop will be held at the APS headquarters in College Park, MD for two days on May 6-8, 2007. Three main topics will be addressed: 1) the current status of women in physics and gender related issues; 2) recommendation and implementation of best practices to attract, hire, retain and increase faculty and scientists in physics; and 3) recommendation and implementation of best practices to recruit, retain, mentor and educate students that represent the next generation. The gender gap in Physics Departments and Physics Divisions of National Laboratories is a serious concern, since despite recent progress the percentage of women in physics remains quite low. Their representation at various stages of the academic ladder constitutes about 5% of full professors, 11% of associate professors, and 16% of assistant professors (national average). The workshop will be a forum for presentations, panel discussions and break out sessions. All of these formats will involve participants from universities, national laboratories as well as leaders from the APS, NSF and DOE, to confront and propose solutions to these issues. The workshop will highlight the need for a larger technically trained workforce and physicists in particular, especially in the present era where continued advancements in science are closely coupled to national security and a strong economy and it is critical to broaden the participation and assure contributions from the entire available pool of talent. This award is co-funded by the Divisions of Physics and Materials Research and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate.
