Journal of Science Policy & Governance | Volume 17, Issue 02 | October 12, 2020

Third Place Winner

Policy Memo: Paid Family Leave to Strengthen the STEM Workforce
Addressed to: The Subcommittee on Worker and Family Support, Committee on Ways and Means, United States House of Representatives

H. Alex Hsain (1,4), Ryan Tam (2,4), Ishita Kamboj (1,4), Hanna Berman (3,4), Ryan Dudek (2,4) 
  1. North Carolina State University, College of Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Raleigh, NC
  2. North Carolina State University, College of Engineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Raleigh, NC
  3. North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Population Health and Pathobiology, Raleigh, NC
  4. Science Policy Pack at NC State, Raleigh, NC
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https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG170207
Keywords: paid family leave; STEM workforce; women in STEM; gender equality
Executive Summary: In the United States many women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) leave their careers after becoming a parent. Attrition is simultaneously occurring with workforce shortages in STEM with two million jobs potentially unfilled by 2025. While there has been an increase in STEM recruitment of women over recent decades, policies aimed at decreasing departure of women in STEM have not been prioritized. The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) guarantees workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave, but has not shown to increase workforce attachment of new mothers. Instead, studies suggest that short durations of paid leave (6-12 weeks) increase workforce attachment. Medical consensus suggests that a leave of 26 weeks is necessary for maternal health and a leave of 40 weeks is optimal for infant well-being. Coupled with recently introduced paid parental leave legislation in Congress, we recommend timely action to decrease the departure of women from the workforce and to strengthen gender equality in STEM. We recommend instituting 12 weeks of federal paid family leave (PFL) under the recently introduced national family leave insurance program in the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (FAMILY Act; S. 463/H.R. 1185).

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H. Alex Hsain is a PhD graduate researcher and NSF Fellow in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at NC State University. She designs and studies electronic oxide capacitors at the atomic scale to be used in low-powered memory devices. Hsain serves as Co-President of the Science Policy Pack at NC State where she works alongside graduate students dedicated to increasing scientific participation in policy making.
 
Ryan Tam is a PhD candidate in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department at NC State University. His research focuses on engineering cell culture models of the mesolimbic pathway and epigenome modifying tools potentially useful in addiction studies. Ryan is also the Communications officer of Science Policy Pack at NC State where he aims to expand his professional science policy network and transition into a career in Biosecurity and Emerging Biotechnology Policy.
 
Ishita Kamboj is a PhD graduate researcher studying Materials Science and Engineering at NC State University. She develops deterministic, lithium-ion energy storage electrode architectures for simultaneous high energy and power density applications. Ishita is the Treasurer of the Science Policy Pack at NC State, where she collaborates with peers driven to engage meaningfully in science policy on both local and national levels.
 
Hanna Berman is a PhD candidate in the Comparative Biomedical Sciences program at NC State, with a concentration in Population Medicine. Her thesis research focuses on the vaginal microbiome and preterm birth, and she has also collaborated on projects regarding food safety and zoonotic disease. Hanna is a member of Science Policy Pack at NC State and is interested in health and science policy.
 
Ryan B. Dudek is a PhD candidate in Chemical Engineering at NC State University focused on reducing the energy consumption and CO2 emissions of steam cracking and dehydrogenation reactions. Ryan is a founding member of the Science Policy Pack at NC State and is passionate about developing training and skill-building opportunities for early career scientists and engineers interested in science policy and advocacy.
 
Acknowledgements
HAH is supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (DGE-1746939).
 
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