Event review: panel discussion

Event review: panel discussion on “Breaking barriers in Physics, Engineering & Data Science: Women Leading, Balancing, and Transforming Science”

Supporting female scientists is an important topic in PUNCH4NFDI in order to increase equity and diversity. For this reason, the consortium has organized several programmes and events since 2022.

This first panel discussion organized by the consortium featured Prof. Dr. Sonja Schimmler (Fraunhofer FOKUS, TU Berlin), Prof. Dr. Lisa Beinborn (University of Goettingen), Prof. Dr. Hannah Elfner (Goethe University Frankfurt, GSI) and Dr. Jolanta Zjupa (Juelich Supercomputing Centre) who shared their personal experience and insights into the topic. The main questions focused around the topics “Work-Life Balance for female scientists” and “Pathways to leadership”.

One part of the discussion centered on the question of how institutions can support a better work-life balance of female scientists. The experience presented by the panelists showed that support measures are often lacking at the stage when scientists—both female and male—become parents. There might be some restrictions in our scientific communities, such as a campus with restricted access due to, e.g. radiation hazard. However, improvements can be achieved on a much more general level: flexible working hours, clear procedures for the delegation of tasks during parental leave, less paper work and more digital alternatives, opportunities for flexible child care. In addition, there is a need for facilities such as breastfeeding rooms that offer a comfortable atmosphere, as well as increasing the visibility of male colleagues working part-time for care-giving responsibilities, which can provide valuable role models and help challenge traditional gender roles in science.

Other parts of the discussion focused on personal experiences and strategies of the panelists. Here are some tips and tricks captured during this session that can be implemented by individuals:

• Time and productivity

1. Use time-controlling apps
2. Prioritize: try to evaluate objectively the necessity of tasks; take tasks on for pre-defined time spans only;

• Decision-making and boundaries

1. Learn to say “no” and accept that people will be annoyed
2. Don’t answer “yes” to requests on the same day
3. Setbacks and rejections happen – don’t take them personally

• Relationships and support systems

1. Appreciate your family and close relationships – they are your support
2. Have hobbies, pets, socialize, and build supportive networks

3. Consider carefully when to have children, depending on your situation (and don’t ask your boss about her/ his opinion on the topic)

• Personal and professional development

1. Take soft skill courses during studies and later – they help with self-reflection
2. Work on topics you like and with people you enjoy working with

3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Discussion and outlook

The final open Q&A session showed that there are still many hurdles to tackle for an efficient work-life balance and especially to achieve equity in work-life balance. The question of how a single parent can succeed in academia, when family constraints are much more rigid, remained mostly unanswered.

Link to the Indico event page: https://indico.desy.de/event/48799/