Effective attraction and retention of women in materials science is a key to the development of talent in the field.

As an integral part of Complex Metallic Alloys Network of Excellence (CMA-NoE), VIU-GM aims to promote excellence through gender mainstreaming, improve gender balance in materials science and create an equal-opportunity basis for female scientists inside the Network.

VIU-GM Activity

 Call for Promotional Lectures

Calls for Promotional Lectures are an excellent possibility for young female scientists, often returning to research from maternity leaves, to get better known in scientific world. The VIU-GM supports financially their travel and stay in scientific institutions of their choice, where they are offered the possibility to present their achievements. The most recent call was opened in January 2009.

 Short-term missions and laboratory visits
Short-term missions and laboratory visits at partner institutions are incentives that fit the real needs of female scientists that often cannot leave their families for a longer period of time. Besides the research itself, this kind of action gives young female scientists the chance to build their own network and contacts which will benefit them in the future as their careers progress. We are currently accepting applications for a new mission.

 Mentoring Programme
The goal of the programme is to help young female scientists clarify their personal goals and develop the means to reach them. As part of the Mentoring Programme, VIU-GM organized a Course on gender aspects and career planning that took place in Krakow, Poland on December 10-11th, 2008.

 Integration and Networking
The VIU-GM organizes its own annual workshops and participates in external events as well. Beside 1st Workshop for Gender Officers (Paris, 2005), workshop topics have included Women in Materials Science (Krakow, 2006), How to Manage Professional and Private Life (Marseille, 2007) and Promoting Gender Mainstreaming in Central and Eastern Europe (Krakow, 2008).

 VIU-GM is an Associate Member of the European Platform of Women Scientists EPW

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