Researchers in academic institutions want their work to matter, but few engage in commercialization activities that could expand their potential impact. Numerous factors discourage STEM faculty, postdocs, and graduate students from engaging in technology transfer, particularly marginalized faculty like women, faculty of color, disabled faculty, and LGBTQ2S+ faculty, among others. Considerable research has demonstrated that gendered and racialized disparities are particularly salient in the overlapping spaces of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and commercialization, both of which have historical and ongoing patterns of harm, exclusion, and social inequity.
The ADVANCE Resource and Coordination (ARC) Network convened scholars from multiple disciplines for a 2-day workshop to prioritize under-studied research questions and policy issues within the general theme of Equity in Academic Commercialization: Toward Systemic Change. The Research Advisory Board of the ARC Network, a National Science Foundation-funded initiative at the Women in Engineering Proactive Network (WEPAN), identified this theme as a primary area in need of further exploration in academic science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workplaces.
Members of the workshop planning committee nominated scholars working in this area who represent a diverse array of disciplines, research specialties, institution types, career stages, and social demographic backgrounds. We convened more than two dozen scholars and administrators in July 2023 to participate in a series of facilitator-led discussions. Our aim was to identify emerging themes related to intersectional gender equity in academic STEM commercialization and suggest directions fornew research, intervention, and policy development.
By the end of our time together, the group identified these research and policy priorities:
These priority topics emerged from extensive discussion among workshop participants and are elaborated in the full report. We encourage researchers, policymakers, and change agents to pursue these topics and explore the questions described within this report, which will be aided by collaboration across disciplines, including social sciences and humanities.
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