UK physical science funder acts to rid its peer review of gender bias

The UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has announced its plan to tackle persistent under-representation of women in the physical sciences and engineering by trying to address gender bias in peer review.

Previous analysis by EPSRC in September 2020 revealed that female principal investigators (PIs) make up between 11 and 15% of the total applications for the agency’s research grants in a given year, and although EPSRC awards a similar number of grants to men and women, they are not of equal value – women consistently apply for smaller grants. Since 2007, only 6% of applications for large grants worth more than £10 million were submitted by female PIs.