MAP female promotion programme

While the proportion of students and graduates has strongly been increasing in recent years, many women scientists drop off the career ladder. On average only 11, 5 % of the professors at both Munich universities are female.

The situation is even more severe in the natural sciences, and especially so in the field of physics, which traditionally is a domain dominated by male scientist. The physics-oriented MAP cluster therefore formulated several goals to support female scientists:

• The cluster aims at achieving a proportion of 30 % female scientists.

• Female project leaders, postdocs and PhD students shall actively be supported.

• An atmosphere of mutual respect has to be developed and maintained.

To achieve these goals, the following tasks are undertaken:

• Disclosure of proportion of female applicants and their success in all job application procedures

• Presence of a qualified female professor (in addition to the mandatory ombudsperson for women) in nomination committees, if necessary from another university

• At least two female members on each Board or Committee.

• Exemption from other duties for the ombudsperson / equal opportunity officer.

• Active encouragement of female chairpersons and speakers in meetings, favoured invitations of female speakers and guest scientists from abroad.

• Mandatory tutorials and seminars for PhD students to promote young scientists (female and male).

• Cooperation with High Schools, internships for High School students, open-lab-days etc. to improve interest in natural sciences (in male and female pupils); participation in Girls Days of the Munich Universities...

• Family-friendly scheduling of meetings (no evening or late afternoon dates).