The scientist shortage and the gender gap

In policy circles, the issue of women in science has evolved from the problem of ensuring equity to concern about the coming overall shortage of US scientists and the need to bolster the dwindling ranks with women and minorities, groups currently underrepresented. Yet despite the predictions, little has been done to increase the number of women in the education pipeline in time to meet the expected crunch.

Both the National Science Foundation and the Office of Technology Assessment of the US Congress predict severe shortages in the number of Ph.D. scientists by the year 2000. Lower birth rates in the 1960s and 1970s created a smaller pool of people to earn graduate degrees by 2000. In addition, faculty retirements are increasing at the same time that the number of US men earning Ph.D.s is declining. Consequently, a 1988 report by the congressionally established Task Force on Women, Minorities, and the Handicapped in Science and Technology estimated that by 2000, 85% of those joining the work force will be women and minorities.

Yet women today represent merely 11% of employed scientists and engineers, although they make up 45% of the work...