'When she rises, we all rise': a crowdsourcing challenge to increase women's participation in an infectious diseases research fellowship.
Challenge contest
Fellowship
Training
WHO
Journal
BMC infectious diseases
ISSN: 1471-2334
Titre abrégé: BMC Infect Dis
Pays: England
ID NLM: 100968551
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
29 Sep 2020
29 Sep 2020
Historique:
received:
18
02
2020
accepted:
21
09
2020
entrez:
30
9
2020
pubmed:
1
10
2020
medline:
21
10
2020
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Women are under-represented in many mid-career infectious diseases research fellowships, including a TDR fellowship for low- and middle-income country (LMIC) researchers. TDR solicited creative ideas as part of a challenge contest to increase the number of women fellowship applicants. The purpose of this study is to examine themes from submitted ideas and the impact of implementing the top three ideas on the number of women applicants. We solicited ideas for modifying the TDR fellowship using a crowdsourcing challenge. Then we used a mixed methods approach to evaluate texts submitted in response to the challenge. The qualitative analysis identified themes from eligible submissions. The quantitative analysis examined the mean score (1-10 scale) assigned to submitted ideas and also the number of eligible women applicants before (2014-7) and after (2018) implementing the top three ideas. We received 311 ideas on improving women's participation in this fellowship from 63 countries. Among all ideas, 282 (91%) were from women and 286 (92%) were from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Thirty-three (17%) ideas received an overall mean score of 7.0 or greater. The top three ideas included enhanced social media communication targeting women, improving career mentorship, and creating a nomination system to nudge women applicants. These ideas were implemented as part of the 2018 fellowship application cycle. The number of eligible women applicants increased from 11 in 2016 to 48 in 2018. The number of eligible men applicants increased from 55 in 2016 to 114 in 2018. Women represent 44% (8/18) of the 2018 cohort. This suggests that the challenge contest resulted in strong participation from women in LMICs. The three top ideas likely contributed to a greater number of women applicants to this mid-career fellowship. Further ways of enhancing women's participation in global health training are needed.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Women are under-represented in many mid-career infectious diseases research fellowships, including a TDR fellowship for low- and middle-income country (LMIC) researchers. TDR solicited creative ideas as part of a challenge contest to increase the number of women fellowship applicants. The purpose of this study is to examine themes from submitted ideas and the impact of implementing the top three ideas on the number of women applicants.
METHODS
METHODS
We solicited ideas for modifying the TDR fellowship using a crowdsourcing challenge. Then we used a mixed methods approach to evaluate texts submitted in response to the challenge. The qualitative analysis identified themes from eligible submissions. The quantitative analysis examined the mean score (1-10 scale) assigned to submitted ideas and also the number of eligible women applicants before (2014-7) and after (2018) implementing the top three ideas.
RESULTS
RESULTS
We received 311 ideas on improving women's participation in this fellowship from 63 countries. Among all ideas, 282 (91%) were from women and 286 (92%) were from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Thirty-three (17%) ideas received an overall mean score of 7.0 or greater. The top three ideas included enhanced social media communication targeting women, improving career mentorship, and creating a nomination system to nudge women applicants. These ideas were implemented as part of the 2018 fellowship application cycle. The number of eligible women applicants increased from 11 in 2016 to 48 in 2018. The number of eligible men applicants increased from 55 in 2016 to 114 in 2018. Women represent 44% (8/18) of the 2018 cohort.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
This suggests that the challenge contest resulted in strong participation from women in LMICs. The three top ideas likely contributed to a greater number of women applicants to this mid-career fellowship. Further ways of enhancing women's participation in global health training are needed.
Identifiants
pubmed: 32993542
doi: 10.1186/s12879-020-05433-5
pii: 10.1186/s12879-020-05433-5
pmc: PMC7526393
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
715Subventions
Organisme : World Health Organization
ID : NA
Pays : International
Références
Lancet Glob Health. 2019 Sep;7(9):e1172-e1173
pubmed: 31401998
Acad Med. 2014 Aug;89(8):1103-7
pubmed: 24918761
BMJ Innov. 2017;3:227-237
pubmed: 29576873
Health Secur. 2018 Fall;16(S1):S87-S97
pubmed: 30480499
Lancet Glob Health. 2017 Jun;5(6):e565-e566
pubmed: 28495255
J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2011 Jan;69(1):3-10
pubmed: 21030124
BMC Infect Dis. 2019 Feb 4;19(1):112
pubmed: 30717678
Glob Health Epidemiol Genom. 2017 May 17;2:e8
pubmed: 29868219
Lancet. 2019 Feb 9;393(10171):594-600
pubmed: 30739695
PeerJ. 2019 Apr 12;7:e6762
pubmed: 30997295
Lancet. 2019 Feb 9;393(10171):493
pubmed: 30739666
Acad Med. 2016 Aug;91(8):1057-64
pubmed: 27191836