and Medicine Committee on Policies and Practices for Supporting Caregivers Working in Science, Engineering – författare

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, research demonstrated a significant impact of family caregiving responsibilities on the careers of professionals who work in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) - especially women. The COVID-19 pandemic increased public recognition of the challenges experienced by caregivers in STEMM fields and created a sense of urgency among many stakeholders. As part of the information-gathering stage of a forthcoming consensus study to address the barriers faced by caregivers, of all genders, in STEMM fields, the Committee on Policies and Practices for Supporting Family Caregivers Working in Science, Engineering, and Medicine organized two national symposia on February 27 and March 27, 2023. Scholars and leaders from a range of sectors convened to identify evidence-based interventions that can support the recruitment, retention, and advancement of caregivers in science, engineering, and medical fields. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the symposia.

Family caregiving is not simply an outside obligation that has no bearing on the workings of academic science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) as it affects the lives of so many people working and studying in colleges and universities around the country. Caregiving responsibilities often clash with ingrained norms in academic STEMM environments, which demand that STEMM students and workers demonstrate immense devotion to their fields and are always available and visibly working.

Supporting Family Caregivers in STEMM describes the ways in which the labor and contributions of caregivers are often invisible and undervalued, with a specific focus on the academic STEMM ecosystem, including undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, resident physicians and other trainees, tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty, staff, and researchers. This report reviews policies and practices that support caregivers, locally and nationally, and describes best practices in policy implementation and design. Supporting Family Caregivers in STEMM also highlights innovative practices and offers actionable recommendations to higher education institutions, public and private funders, and the federal government.