Four workshops are designed for women in cognitive science, especially women in the early stages of their academic career. The focus will be on the "imposter phenomenon," the internal emotional experience of not being qualified, both intellectually and professionally, despite objective evidence indicating the opposite. Research suggests that this phenomenon is widespread but is experienced more often by women than by men. Its well-documented aversive effects can be a significant psychological barrier to seeking a career in science. The workshops focus on negotiation techniques to create opportunities and optimize mechanisms to sustain research productivity. A second focus is on predoctoral, postdoctoral, and early career grant application writing. The workshops are to be held in conjunction with four major scientific meetings in Psychology, across a broad geographical area (the Cognitive Science Society, the Psychonomic Society, the Association for Psychological Science, and the Society for Mathematical Psychology). The workshops will take the form of a public forum with invited speaker-panelists to initiate discussion about best practices for the professional advancement of women in cognitive science at the individual and institutional level. By partnering with these established societies, the workshops will maximize the outreach potential to a group that continues to be underrepresented in senior academic positions in the cognitive sciences.
