Policy Interpretation of Several Measures to Support Female Scientific and Technological Talents to Play a Greater Role in Scientific and Technological Innovation

In order to further stimulate the innovation vitality of female scientific and technological talents, promote female scientific and technological talents to play a greater role in innovation-driven development, achieve high-level scientific and technological self-reliance, and build a world scientific and technological power, recently, the Ministry of Science and Technology, together with 12 departments including the All-China Women's Federation, issued the ''Support Several Measures for Female Scientific and Technological Talents to Play a Greater Role in Scientific and Technological Innovation "(hereinafter referred to as" Several Measures "Several Measures"). In view of the relevant issues of public concern in the "Several Measures", it is now interpreted as follows:

 

Q: Please introduce the introduction of the "several measures" based on what background?

 

Female scientific and technological talents are an important part of the scientific and technological talent team, and they are a very important force in my country's scientific and technological cause, and they have supported half of the sky in my country's scientific and technological cause. The Ministry of science and technology and the all China Women's Federation actively promote the construction of female scientific and technological talents. In 2011, the two departments issued the opinions on strengthening the construction of female scientific and technological talents, which put forward a series of policies and measures from the aspects of increasing the reserve of female scientific and technological talents, expanding female employment opportunities in the field of science and technology, and promoting the development of female high-level scientific and technological talents, so as to play a positive role in promoting the construction of female scientific and technological talents.

　

In recent years, the scale of my country's female scientific and technological talent team has gradually expanded, the structure has been continuously optimized, and the ability has been significantly improved. They have made outstanding contributions in various aspects such as basic theory, applied technology, and engineering practice, fully demonstrating the strength of women. But on the whole, the role of female scientific and technological talents in scientific and technological innovation has not been fully played.

 

First, there is still a lack of high-level female scientific and technological talents. At present, women account for about 45.8 percent of scientific and technological workers in the country, but with the improvement of professional and technical positions, the proportion of women is decreasing step by step, there is a shortage of female scientific and technological leaders, and the phenomenon of "scissors gap" is more prominent. In 2019, women accounted for 6 per cent of academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and 5.3 per cent of academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, respectively. Among the experts and scholars selected for the national talent plan, women account for only about 10%.

 

Second, female scientific and technological talents still face bottlenecks in their career development. In terms of funding for scientific research projects, research data from the National Natural Science Foundation of China show that with the increase in the level and difficulty of the project, the proportion of women receiving funding has decreased significantly. In the national science and technology plan projects, the proportion of female project leaders and project leaders also has a lot of room for improvement. In terms of scientific and technological decision-making, female scientific and technological talents rarely participate in major national scientific and technological strategy consultation, scientific and technological policy formulation and other activities, and the proportion of female experts is not high in all kinds of evaluation work, such as national science and technology plan projects, national science and technology awards, national talent plan, and so on. In terms of scientific research and academic network, the scale of scientific research and academic network for female scientific and technological talents is relatively small and the resources are relatively insufficient. The proportion of women working in national societies, associations and research associations in the field of science and technology is relatively low. More than 30% of female scientific and technological talents reported that due to the lack of academic exchange opportunities, their own capacity building needs cannot be fully met, which affects scientific research performance and output.

 

Third, the fertility-friendly scientific research environment needs to be improved. Female science and technology talents face the dual pressure of work and family. The disposable scientific research work time cannot be guaranteed, and the realistic problems such as the coincidence of the reproductive period and the rising period of career development have a greater impact on the career development of female scientific and technological talents. The lack of special policy support for female scientific and technological talents during pregnancy and nurturing period affects the career development continuity of female scientific and technological talents in scientific research institutions. Supporting measures to support female scientific and technological talents during pregnancy and nursery, such as flexible working system, maternal and child care services, need to be further improved.

 

Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, and female scientific and technological talents shoulder new missions and tasks. It is urgent to create a good environment for the development of female scientific and technological talents through systematic policy arrangements, guide the whole society to vigorously support female scientific and technological talents to participate in scientific and technological innovation, and fully stimulate the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of female scientific and technological talents.

 

Q: What are the main measures introduced in the "Several Measures?

 

The "Several Measures" adhere to gender equality and equal opportunities, from cultivating high-level female scientific and technological talents, vigorously supporting the innovation and entrepreneurship of female scientific and technological talents, improving the evaluation and incentive mechanism of female scientific and technological talents, supporting the scientific research work of female scientific and technological talents during pregnancy and nurturing, and strengthening female reserve scientific and technological talents 16 specific measures are proposed in 6 aspects including training and strengthening the basic work of female scientific and technological talents, create a better policy environment for the growth and progress of female scientific and technological talents, display their talents and play their roles.

 

In terms of "training and bringing up high-level female scientific and technological talents", the "several measures" focus on solving the obstacles faced by female scientific and technological talents in the acquisition of scientific and technological resources, participation in scientific and technological decision-making, international scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation, scientific research and academic networks, and the implementation of retirement policies for female scientific and technological talents with senior professional titles, so as to smooth the career development path of female scientific and technological talents.

 

In terms of "vigorously supporting the innovation and entrepreneurship of female scientific and technological talents", the "Several Measures" proposes to carry out the "Women in Science and Technology Innovation Action", support female scientific and technological talents to participate in high-quality development, increase support for female scientific and technological entrepreneurs, and cultivate more More female technology entrepreneurs.

 

In terms of "improving the evaluation and incentive mechanism for female scientific and technological talents", the "several measures" make arrangements in the selection of female scientific and technological talents into the national high-level talent plan, the co-election of academicians of the two academies, increasing the reward for female scientific and technological talents, and establishing an evaluation mechanism conducive to the development of female scientific and technological talents, so as to encourage female scientific and technological talents to seize development opportunities and pursue excellence.

 

In terms of "supporting the scientific research work of female scientific and technological talents during pregnancy and nurturing", in view of the practical problems such as the family and reproductive pressure of female scientific and technological talents, the "several measures" help female scientific and technological talents not to interrupt their scientific research career due to pregnancy and nurturing, and effectively solve the worries of female scientific and technological talents.

 

In terms of "strengthening the training of female reserve scientific and technological talents", "several measures" aim at student groups at different stages, through measures such as carrying out gender equality education, encouraging female students to participate in scientific and technological competitions, and setting up scholarships for outstanding female college students majoring in science and engineering. promote gender equality in the field of science and technology education, encourage the majority of female students to grow into talents, and guide more female students to choose scientific research as a lifelong career.

 

In terms of "strengthening the basic work of female scientific and technological talents", the "Several Measures" proposes that all levels of scientific and technological innovation planning and related policy formulation should fully consider gender differences and the special needs of women, and special arrangements should be made if conditions permit; it is necessary to study the establishment of female scientific and technological talents The data index system is included in the national science and technology statistics, and the "science and technology and gender" research continues to provide support for further improvement of female science and technology talent policies.

　

Q: What are the main policy breakthroughs in the "Several Measures?

 

The "Several Measures" aims to fully stimulate the innovation vitality of female scientific and technological talents, and improve the systematicness, accuracy, and feasibility of the policy. The main policy breakthroughs are as follows:

 

The first is to support female scientific and technological talents to obtain scientific and technological resources and improve their participation in scientific and technological decision-making. In order to solve the problem that women have relatively few opportunities to obtain funding for scientific research projects and their participation in scientific and technological decision-making needs to be improved, the "Several Measures" proposes to support female scientific and technological talents to undertake scientific and technological plan projects, and to better play the role of female scientific and technological talents in scientific and technological decision-making consultation. effect. Specifically, it includes exploring the establishment of female scientist projects in a number of national key R & D programs, appropriately relaxing the age limit for female applicants in the young scientist project of the national key R & D program, further co-ordinating the application age of female researchers in various talent projects of the National Natural Science Foundation, and increasing the participation of high-level female scientific and technological talents in national scientific and technological activities. Through the above measures, to ensure that female scientific and technological talents have equal opportunities to participate in the development of scientific and technological innovation.

 

The second is to improve the evaluation and incentive mechanism of female scientific and technological talents. In order to improve the sense of acquisition of female scientific and technological talents, the "Several Measures" adhere to the policy focus of "women first under the same conditions", and propose to support female scientific and technological talents to be selected into the national high-level talent plan, increase rewards for female scientific and technological talents, and establish An evaluation mechanism that is conducive to the development of female scientific and technological talents. Specifically, the National Talent Plan appropriately relaxes the age limit for female applicants; the additional selection of academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering encourages the nomination of more outstanding female scientists as candidates, and supports women to be selected first under the same conditions; in various related selections and commendations The proportion of female scientific and technological talents selected; in the evaluation of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the funding policy of priority for female researchers under the same conditions is implemented. Through the above measures, we can help female scientific and technological talents to better complete the "advantage accumulation" of scientific research career development, and avoid affecting the later development due to the backwardness of a certain stage of career development.

 

The third is to support the scientific research work of female scientific and technological talents during pregnancy and nurturing. The "Several Measures" fully consider the adjustment of the national fertility policy and the special physiological characteristics of women, and propose to create a good scientific research environment and a fertility-friendly working environment for female scientific and technological talents during pregnancy and nurturing. Specifically, it includes encouraging scientific research institutions to set up female scientific research return funds; in the aspects of assessment and evaluation, post employment, etc., appropriately relax the time limit requirements for female scientific and technological talents during pregnancy and nurturing, and extend the time limit for assessment and appointment; encourage colleges and universities and scientific research institutes to implement flexible working system, build maternal and infant rooms, and provide child care services. Through the above measures, reduce and avoid female scientific and technological personnel due to the impact of fertility and even withdraw from scientific research.

 

Q: In the next step, how to implement the "Several Measures?

 

It is the common responsibility of the whole society to support female scientific and technological talents to play a greater role in scientific and technological innovation. It not only requires the unremitting efforts of the majority of female scientific and technological workers, but also needs to strengthen departmental coordination, mobilize the enthusiasm of various innovation subjects, and form a joint force.

　

In the next step, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the All-China Women's Federation will work with relevant departments to implement the "Several Measures", clarify the division of tasks, refine work measures, strengthen the monitoring and evaluation of implementation, ensure that various measures are effective, and effectively solve the problems of female scientific and technological talents in the industry. The difficulties faced in development create a better environment for female scientific and technological talents to play a greater role in the main battlefield of scientific and technological innovation in the new era. It is hoped that the vast number of female scientific and technological workers will adhere to the "four aspects", never forget their original ideals and aspirations, bear in mind their mission, base themselves on their own duties, bravely climb the peak, and actively participate in the main battlefield of scientific and technological innovation. make new and greater contributions in achieving a high level of self-reliance and building a world scientific and technological power.

 

 

 

Source: Ministry of Science and Technology