Winning awardsSome hints

MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

Dr Cathy Foley| Chief20 February 2013

The Rules: Written and Unwritten

• Advancing in today’s business world is often as much about learning and playing by the rules as it is about talent and results. Some rules are explicitly stated in organisational handbooks, … procedures or by senior leadership.• But other rules are left implicit – unwritten – for employees to

decipher on their own. Those who do not have the tools to access this maze of “unwritten rules” and the important knowledge these rules provide remain left out, no matter how competent they are…Many talented women may not have the same access to their organisation’s unwritten rules as their colleagues, to the detriment of their career advancement.

Catalyst 2006

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• As an example, from interviews with 65 women and men from a variety of industries, Catalyst (2008) found the most popular unwritten rules for workplace behaviours and actions for employees to be the following:• network and build relationships within and outside the organisation• find ways to become visible• play politics and lobby for yourself and your work• communicate effectively and ask for lots of feedback• perform well, produce results.

Some unwritten rules

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Why is it?

• Only 15% of highly qualified women aspire to positions of power against an average of 27% for men? • 70% of females rate their own performance as equivalent to that

of their co-workers, whereas 70% of men rate themselves better than their peers? • A lot of it is of about having the confidence to articulate a vision

for the future and go after it. • Men do that. Women don't to the same extent.Nugent (2010: 52)

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It is not a level playing field

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Nature (cited 212 times),† Wennerås and Wold (29) • when reviewers judged postdoctoral fellowship applications to the Swedish MedicalResearch Council (MRC) in 1995, the conversion of data into subjective scores was highly prejudiced against women. • The claim of discrimination was based on 62 applications submitted by men and52 by women: 16 men were funded (25.8%) vs. 4 women (7.7%).• Evidence of bias was based on analyses of reviewers’ scores versus objective data (e.g., publications, citations). • Reviewers judged each applicant on scientific competence, proposal relevance, andmethodology. • Women received somewhat lower mean scores than men in all three categories, the largest discrepancy being in scientific competence—2.46 vs. 2.21. The total impact score was most predictive of reviewers’ ratings of scientific competence (r2 =0.47): • A woman needed a 2.6 times higher “total impact measure” score than a man to be judged as competent.

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Key datesDeadlines for the L’Oréal Australia & New Zealand For Women in Science Fellowships.Do not confuse them with that of the UNESCO-L’ORÉAL International Fellowship program, Applications open.6 May 2013Applications close.27 August 2013Award Ceremony28 August 2013Girls in Science forum

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Eligibility criteriaApplications are open to post-doctoral researchers who have completed their PhD since 1 May 2007 (NB: excluding maternity leave and periods of part time work due to family considerations).

Applicants must be Australian or New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. Temporary residents in the process of applying for permanent residency may apply but decisions of eligibility will be left to the discretion of the jury.

Applicants must be associated with an Australian or New Zealand-based research institution, and must be intending to continue their research in Australia or New Zealand for the next 12 months.

Applicants must be women involved in the life sciences, health sciences, material sciences, physical sciences, mathematics or engineering.

Applications will be considered only if they are complete and arrive within the deadline time.

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ExceptionsIf for exceptional reasons you don’t meet one or other of the guidelines, and you still wish to apply, please note your circumstances in the application in your candidate’s statement.

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Review criteriaThe jury will review all applications and select three Fellows based on:• Intellectual merit/academic records/accepted requisites for scholarly scientific study including:

ability to plan and conduct researchability to work as a team member or independentlyability to interpret and communicate research findings;

• Scientific excellence and appropriateness of proposed research or a clearly articulated plan of study;• Reference letters.

http://www.scienceinpublic.com.au/loreal/applications/criteria

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The Fellowships are highly competitive, with over 70 applications received in 2011. The jury are looking for • future leaders in their fields: • researchers who have already had several high impact publications and• other recognition of their research including grants, prizes and invitations to speak at conferences.

If you don’t yet have an established publication record, you may wish to defer applying for this Fellowship for a year or two while you establish your career.

Elizabeth Blackburn

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First hint

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TRY

Second hint

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READ THE INSTRUCTIONSAND FOLLOW THEM

Third Hint

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Use few words and no weasel words

Fourth Hint

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Step into the shoes of the judges/reviewers

Fifth Hint

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Don’t do it at the last minute

Get lots of feedback by asking others to read it and comment

Sixth Hint

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Management of Referees

Don’t waste them and wear your welcome

Ask them if you can help by providing some points to include or a cv or a copy of the application

Final Hint

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Be brave

Lean into the discomfort

Put your self out there

Putting in an application is in itself a success

Thank you