IANAS Women for Science Focal Points Meeting
Ottawa, September 21st -22nd 2014
Hosted by The Royal Society of Canada
Overview of the 2013 Meeting in Chile
The Program met in December 2013 in Santiago, Chile and the agreements for 2014 were
to work in several action groups according to the following projects and actions:
I.
Biographies Action Group (Two projects for 2014)
a) The biography book with interviews of young women scientists with a target
audience of young girls ages 14 and up, coordinated by Patricio Felmer (Chile);
b) One minute YouTube -Videos featuring early to mid carrier women scientists,
coordinated by Judith Zubieta (Mexico)
II. Data Action Group (One project for 2014)
a) The WfS Census Report, coordinated by Frances Henry (Canada) and
Liliana Lopez (Venezuela) and in collaboration with the IAP Census
coordinated by Dorothy Ngila (NASAC)
III. National Committees Action Group coordinator Monica Moraes with the following
comments:
 Academies and National Committees have the freedom to address
issues of women in Science and Technology that they determine to be
important in their own countries.
 Focal points, working with their Academy Presidents, are free to decide
whether a National Committee is needed or not
 A WfS-WG Action Plan for all National Committees should be restricted
to issues that appear to be common to many of the IANAS academies,
such as:
o Exchange of ideas between National Committees about
experiences, successful initiatives and activities.
o Circulating or posting relevant events organized by National
Committees
IV. Collaborative Action Group on Gender, Cultural, and Social Issues in IANAS
Programs. Coordinated by Carmen Samayoa (One line of work and one project)
a) Liaisons to IANAS Programs and relevant organizations, coordinated by
Carmen Samayoa (Guatemala) and Neela Badrie (Caribbean)
b) On going project: the coordination between the Water and Energy Programs
to develop the book chapter Energy, Water and Gender Issues, coordinated
by Katherine Vammen (Water Program-Nicaragua), Frances Henry (WfS
Program-Canada),Tomas Bazan (Energy Program-Panama), Patricia
Taboada (Energy Bolivia-US), Nicole Bernex (Water Program Peru)
c) Updating information on the website
V. The Prizes Action Group coordinated by Margarita Perea.*
* Margarita stepped down and Mariana Weissmann kindly accepted to
coordinate this section
Saturday September 20th, 2014
Arrival Hotel Best Western Plus Victoria Park Suites
377 O’Connor Street Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2M2 Toll-free Phone: (+1) 800 465 7275
Direct: (+1) 613 567 7275 Email: info@victoriapark.com http://www.victoriapark.com/
18:0021:00
Welcome Dinner at the Hotel Organized by The Royal Society of Canada
Sunday September 21th, 2014
8:00
Meeting will be at Victoria Salon on the main floor
Hotel Best Western Plus Victoria Park Suites
1. Welcome to the Participants
Jeremy McNeil, Foreign Secretary of The Royal Society of Canada
Michael Clegg Co-Chair of IANAS
Introduction to the Meeting
Lilliam Alvarez (Cuba) and Monica Moraes (Bolivia)
Co-Chairs of the IANAS Women for Science Program
8:059:00
2. Welcome to the New Focal Points
Coordination of this segment: Carla Odio (Costa Rica)
The new focal points will make presentations limited to three power points
slides:
a) One slide answering What is my field and my current research?
b) One slide about the Academy, about the number of members of your
Academy (male and female), and plans in there are any to address the gender
differences
Angela Camacho, Colombia (5 minutes)
Belita Koiller, Brazil (5 minutes)
Milena Cabrera Maldonado, Dominican Republic (5 minutes)
Carolina Alduvin Honduras (5 minutes)
Osiris Sanjur Panama (5 minutes)
Carol Gross United States (5 minutes)
Ana Denicola Uruguay (5 minutes)
Margarita Vannini, Nicaragua (5 minutes)
Q and A
 If authorized by the Focal Points, the presentations will be available at
the IANAS website
 The coordinator of this section will make a brief summarization of the
main topics to be addressed during the presentations and the Q and A
session and will keep the session on schedule
9:0010:00
I. Report of the Biographies Action Group
Coordinator of the segment: Patricio Felmer (Chile)
a) Current Status of the Biography Project. Missing countries. Final Deadline
(10 Minutes)
b) Presentation of the Royal Society of London “Mother in Science. 64 Was to
have it all”. Book (2 Minutes)
Discussions: Who is going to read the biographies? What is the population
target audience? What are the elements that any publication will need to take
into consideration for a public audience? The current interviews are designed to
follow the same structure of the previous book however in addition to this
format, IANAS will develop an alternative targeting younger readers.
To reinforce this discussion, IANAS is trying to invite a specialist in
communication to young people with the goal to provide to the group expert
information and help the group to make consulted decision.
d) The group will be asked to make a decision at the end of this segment about
the type of publication for the Biography
e) The YouTube project.
English notes: Mike Clegg (US)
Spanish Notes: Milena Maldonado (Dominican Republic)
The coordinator of this section will make a brief summarization of the main
topics address and will keep the session on schedule
10:0010:15
10:1511:15
Coffee break
II. Report of Data Action Group
Presentation: A Report on the IANAS Census Survey - Frances Henry
(Canada)
Q and A: Coordinator: Lilliam Alvarez (Cuba)
Discussion:
 The information presented in the Report may have different impacts in
each country, how can the Program address the different issues found in
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the collected data?
Should the report identify the names of the country or just identify them
by numbers? Should the program write a private report for each
Academy? Or should we write both a public (identification by number
only) and a private report?
The Report is going to be sent to the IANAS Executive Committee
Members for approval. Should they send it to the Academies for their
approval or is this unnecessary?
Does the WfS Program need to make some recommendations to the
Academies? If yes, is there a need to create a group in 2015 to discuss
and present these recommendations to the Program or, can the Report
be sent as it is now?
English Notes: Carol Gross, US
Spanish Notes: Margarita Vannini, Nicaragua
The coordinator of this section will make a brief summarization of the main
topics address and will keep the session on schedule
11:1512:00
III. Reports National Committees Action Group
Coordinator: Monica Moraes
This session is designed to present and discuss gender programs of various
Academies.
Ruth Shady Peru (5 Minutes):
Judith Zubieta Mexico (5 Minutes)
Carla Odio Costa Rica (5 Minutes)
Liliana LopezVenezuela (5 Minutes)
Angela Camacho Colombia (5 Minutes)
Q & A Session
English Notes: Neela Badrie (Trinidad and Tobago/Caribbean)
Spanish Notes: María Guadalupe Alduvin Honduras
If authorized by the Focal Points, the presentations will be available at the
IANAS website
12:0013:30
13:3014:30
The coordinator of this section will keep the time for the session and will make a
brief summarization of the main topics address during the presentations and the
Q and A session.
Lunch and quick break
IV. Report of the Collaborative Action Group on Gender, Cultural, and Social
Issues in IANAS Programs.
Brief Introduction: Michael Clegg
a) The Energy, Water and Gender Chapter of the book Guide Toward a
Sustainable Energy Future for the Americas. A crossing roads experience
joining three IANAS programs.
Presentation: Katherine Vammen(Nicaragua), Focal Point of the IANAS Water
Program for this chapter and Frances Henry (Canada) Focal Point of the the
WfS Program for a chapter for the Energy program.
Q&A
14:3015:30
b) How to connect the Science Education Program with the Women for Science
Program
Coordinator: Judith Zubieta (Mexico)
Ideas from Canada: Patricia M. Rowell, IANAS Focal Point of the
Science Education Program (The text will be presented by Jeremy
McNeil)
Ideas from Argentina: Mariana Weissman (5 Minutes)
Ideas from Cuba: Lilliam Alvarez (5 Minutes)
Ideas from US: Carol Gross (5 Minutes)
Ideas from Guatemala: Maria del Carmen Samayoa (5 Minutes)
This section will explore the propositions of the four countries and will open the
segment for further discussions and suggestion. The goal is to define a set of
potential interactions with the Science Education Program and to appoint a
group and two coordinators responsible to interact and develop the proposals.
Please visit http://www.ianas.org/index.php/programs/women-forscience/gender-in-ianas/88-programs/women-for-science/431-gender-andscience-education for more information about Gender and Science Education
English Notes: Carol Cross (US)
Spanish Notes: Osiris Sanjur (Panama)
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15:3016:30
The coordinator of this section will make a brief summarization of the
main topics address and will keep the session on schedule
The coordinator of this section will need to prepare a single document
and send it to the Science Education Meeting in Lima October previous
approval of the Co-Chairs
Other projects of the Women for Science Program
Coordinator: Liliam Alvarez (Cuba)
YouTube
IANAS-OWSD Prize
16:30-
Fresh Ideas and directions for the Women for Science Program 2015-2016
17:00
Coordinator: Marcos Cortesao
Belita Koiller, Brazil (5 minutes)
Osiris Sanjur Panama (5 minutes)
Ana Denicola Uruguay (5 minutes)
Margarita Vannini, Nicaragua (5 minutes)
English Notes: Frances Henry (Canada)
Spanish Notes: Patricio Felmer (Chile)
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17:00
18:3021:30
The coordinator of this section will make a brief summary of the main
topics address and will keep the session on schedule
 The coordinator of this section will need to prepare a single document
and send it to the Science Education Meeting in Lima October. The draft
will first be circulated to and approved by the WfS focal points.
Wrap Up and program for the following day
Monica Moraes and Liliam Alvarez
Cocktail reception dinner at the Museum of Nature (RBC Blue Water Gallery)
Museum Address: 240 McLeod Street Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2R1
Phone: (+1) 613-556-4770 http://www.nature.ca/
Monday September 22th, 2014
8:00-12:00
Meeting will be at Victoria Salon on the main floor
Hotel Best Western Plus Victoria Park Suites
Discussion of new projects
Possible Subjects:
Plans for the presentation of the biographies
New Horizons in Science. An experience to share
Future Actions for the Program
Venue for the next Meeting and potential dates
12:00- 12:50
13:00-15:00
Lunch
Hybrid meeting: The State of Women for Science in the Americas: Industry and the
Academy
The goal of these presentations is to talk about the different possibilities outside of
research and academia, for women who choose a career in science. Each presenter
will have approximately 10 minutes not including Q&A.
Presentations by colleagues in the following countries
Colombia
Honduras (Dra. Anabelle Ferrera Boza)
Peru (Lic. Carolina Trivelli, former Minister of Development and Social Inclusion of
Peru)
Venezuela
Costa Rica (Dra. Teresa Escalante)
Canada (Dr. Lalita Acharya, Chief, Social Affairs, Health and Infrastructure Section,
Parliamentary Information and Research Service, Library of Parliament and Dr.
Elizabeth Boston, Director, Mathematical, Environmental and Physical Sciences
Research Grants Division, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council)
Starting 15:30
Free Evening
Dinner at the Hotel