This month’s Editorial in Nature Physics (3, 363; 2007) is entitled Take the lead, and is about how to tackle the under-representation of women at all career levels in physics research.

From the Editorial:

Last month, a workshop entitled Gender Equity: Strengthening the Physics Enterprise in Universities and National Laboratories took place at the headquarters of the American Physical Society in Maryland, with the stated aim of facilitating a doubling of the number of women in physics over the next 15 years. The under-representation of women in research careers in physics is proving a tough nut to crack. Why would this workshop, ahead of many other well-meaning efforts, come any closer to a solution?

What was remarkable about the Maryland workshop was its participants: chairs from 50 major physics departments across the USA, 14 division directors of national laboratories units, and leaders from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. After all, if there is to be change, it has to come from the top.

In the list of preliminary recommendations from the workshop, many begin with the words “leaders should”. Leaders should “set a code of conduct”, “make expectations clear”, “be aware of subtle biases” and so on. Many of these recommendations are easily recognizable as good management practice. A good manager creates the appropriate atmosphere in which all team members can thrive, each being encouraged to play to their strengths, and, through their collective effort, carry the interests of the team forwards. That picture doesn’t necessarily describe the average physics research group — although it probably should.

See here for the full text of the Editorial (subscription or site licence required).

See here for the conference website, from which you can download most of the talks as PDFs as well as obtain other resources.