About FFNT

Academic workplaces and academic careers are supposed to be gender-neutral. However, even today, less than 20% of female researchers are promoted to professors in Dutch academic institutions. At the same time, the number of female doctoral candidates in different faculties, as well as female postdocs, is quite comparable to the numbers of male colleagues. The leaky pipeline is an alarming reality in Dutch academia. If talent walks away, in the long run, this often translates into sub-optimally used opportunities for growth and for innovation. An inclusive work environment is a key factor to retaining and leveraging female researchers’ talent and assuring long-term benefits and growth. To address the ‘leaky pipeline’ issue at the University of Twente, a number of enthusiastic female academic established the FFNT in 2005. Since then, this organization has grown to 431 members at all academic levels. It engages with and for its members, with UT managers and administrators to keep up the dialogue about equity, diversity, and inclusiveness. We are actively involved in building the business case for gender diversity at various levels of the university, in human resources departments, as well as in teaching and research. FFNT also offers a lot of training sessions to train its members in professional academic skills and leadership qualities, effectively tuned for women.

FFNT collaborates with other UT organizations, such as OBP-VN, the UT’s Human Resources Department, the UT’s Ambassadors Network, PNUT, the Twente Graduate School, and Studium Generale.

The network is run by the FFNT Board, which is responsible for the long-term vision, strategic planning, organization of the events, and finances. The FFNT Board consists of academic staff members from all faculties, with administrative support by a secretary. The aim of the Board is to cover the needs and interests of all female academics at the UT and therefore, the Board welcomes professors, associate professors, lecturers, researchers and PhD candidates.

The Board of the Female Faculty Network Twente (FFNT) consists of 6 female academic staff members from all the faculties of the University of Twente. The FFNT Board members ensure the equal representation of the UT faculties at board level, in order to cover the needs and interests of the whole community of academic female employees. Therefore, the Board welcomes professors, associate professors, lecturers, researchers and PhD students. In this academic year, the FFNT Board consists of one full professor, one associate professor, two assistant professors, and one PhD researcher. 

If you are interested in FFNT membership or would like to contact one of the Board members, please approach anyone of the Board members directly or send an e-mail to FFNT. We would be happy to consult you on FFNT-related matters and to provide any information that helps your needs as a female academic staff.

CHAIR

For more information on FFNT or on how to get involved, you are welcome to contact one of the members of the FFNT Board. Alternatively, please send an e-mail to ffnt@utwente.nl.

Join us and become a member of FFNT.

In line with its 2015-2020 strategy, the Female Faculty Network Twente has three main goals:

• To contribute to FFNT members' professional development
• To increase the attractiveness of FFNT
• To contribute to the UT as an inclusive organization

We do so through a number of activities, such as yearly conferences, lunch discussions, and workshops on various topics relating to gender in academic workplaces. We meet and discuss with UT management as well as our members to address gender and related issues faced by our members, such as transparency of hiring and promotion criteria and family-friendly policies. We also encourage the pro-active engagement of our members in shaping their own careers and promoting their leadership at different levels of the UT.

Our events are free of charge for the FFNT members. We encourage you to contact us with your suggestions for future events - you can help shaping our annual program of activities based on your needs!

Overall diversity objective 2020 for the UT:

UT is an attractive workplace for female academic talent

FFNT Vision:

FFNT embraces diversity and promotes female academic leadership

Overall FFNT objective:

Increase impact of FFNT for its stakeholders and members

Goals

• Contribute to FFNT members' professional development
• Increase attractiveness of FFNT
• Contribute to the UT as an inclusive organisation

Targets

• Improved female academic career progression at the UT
• Increased # of clear, appealing and positive events
• Learn more about, listen to and act upon the needs of the members
• Increase regular exchange with UT managers regarding recruitment,
  promotion as well as other gender equality issues at the UT
• Increase customized events for different career level needs (PhDs, Professors)
• Better address academic career bottlenecks in development/progression
• Increase # of FFNT members (from N=200 to N=300);
• Increase attendance of FFNT events
• Increase evidence of career successes and award(s) of women academics at UT
• Increase media presence: UT Nieuws, LNHV, social media sites
• Network more nationally and internationally
• Better monitor how inclusive is UT
• Better raise awareness of gender biases at the UT

Female academics, including full, associate and assistant professors, post-docs, and PhD candidates, are welcome to become a member of the FFNT. Membership is free of charge. 

• Only 17% of UT associate professors are women
• ‘I dream of times when FFNT is not useful anymore’(November 2020)
• Breakfast, Board and Business with FFNT 2018
• MeTooUT discussion: ‘Walking away is not an option’(November 2017)
• Career at a Dutch university is like juggling balls (November 8 2016)
• UT wants more female professors in 2020 (in Dutch July 2016)
• Leaking in the pipeline: where do the women go? (May 2016)
• Let your voice out (April 2016)
• Is it possible to be a part-time scientist? Michaela Nesvarova (March 2016)
• Verborgen succesfactoren with Sara Shinton (in Dutch) (November 2010)
• Interview with Wietske Bijker (Vice Chair of FFNT) (October 2010)
• Article about the FFNT survey (in Dutch) (October 2010)
• Interview with Liudvika Leisyte (Chair of FFNT) (in Dutch) (September 2010)
• Interview with Virginia Valian (March 2010)
• Interview with Anne Flierman (in Dutch) Angelica Mader and Joyce Berger interviewed Anne Flierman about career opportunities for women at the UT. (March 2010)

Within UT

UT AMBASSADORS NETWORK

The Ambassadors’ Network is a committee set up by the Executive Board charged with advising the Executive Board on measures for promoting women to more senior positions. The network has given advice on the following subjects:

• Applications for the UT incentive fund
• Importance of a workshop on gender awareness for UMT and managerial staff
• Arranging three tenure track positions, especially for women.
• Importance of gender-neutral recruitment and selection.

A second task of the network is monitoring the implementation of the policy. For this, the committee visits the faculties twice a year to discuss the issue with the deans. The name network is by analogy with the national ambassadors’ networks that consist of prominent figures from trade and industry who wish to stimulate the promotion of women to top jobs within their company.

Other Networks

• LNVH – Dutch network of women professors.
• VVAO – (in Dutch) Vereniging van vrouwen met hogere opleiding Afdeling Enschede
• NIMF - Dutch Network for Women in Computer Science, Mathematics and Physics.
• vnVA – (in Dutch) vereniging van Nederlandse vrouwelijke artsen.
• GAIA – (in Dutch) netwerk voor vrouwen uit de aardwetenschappen.
• VMNN – (in Dutch) Vrouwelijke Managers Netwerk Nederland

Other Dutch Universities

• Delft University of Technology DEWIS (Delft Women in Science)
• Eindhoven University of Technology WISE (Women in Science)
• Wageningen University VWI (Vrouwennetwerk Wageningse Ingenieurs)
• Utrecht University Vrouwennetwerk van de Universiteit Utrecht (in Dutch)
• Erasmus University Rotterdam ENVH (Erasmus Netwerk Vrouwelijk Hoogleraren)
• Radboud University Nijmegen Workgroup of Female Professors
• Universiteit van Amsterdam Network for Women in the FNWI

Incentive Fund

The UT Incentive Fund is a small fund, created and financed by UT. Its aim is to help female staff develop and/or accelerate their careers, and achieve their professional ambitions. If you a female staff member who has the ambition to move up to a position in the “talentpool”, the subtop or at top level, the UT is keen on supporting you.

For who?

Support staff and science staff (excluding PhD candidates).

For what?

In the past, following proposals were accepted:

• Courses or coaching for personal or professional development.
• Travel and accommodation expenses for getting international experience and/or building an international network, e.g. conferences or research visits.
• Facilities to write a grant proposal or work on a publication.
• Replacement constructions (fte’s) for educational assistants or student assistants

Marina van Damme Prize

Marina van Damme prize (Universiteitsfonds University of Twente) for a successful alumna of the university. Since 2010 it is called the Marina van Damme Scholarship.

For who?

Marina van Damme prize is meant for successful female alumni of the University of Twente, Technical University of Delft or Technical University of Eindhoven. For our university it means that you have to hold a master degree and/or a doctorate degree obtained at University of Twente.

For what?

The scholarschip is intended for giving a "nudge" to take a new step or a new direction in the further development of a career of a candidate. It is not meant for funding a PhD. It is intended, for example, to increase knowledge or an international orientation in the form of a study programme, internship or project.

Read more abot the application and requirements on the Marina van Damme prize website.

Professor de Winter Prize

Professor de Winter prize (Universiteitsfonds University of Twente) publication price for female talent.

For who?

The goal of the prize is to promote the female scientific talent at the University of Twente: female lecturers employed at the UT. 

For what?

The prize is an award, with no specified goal.

Read more about the application and requirements on the Professor de Winter prize website.

Other prizes and Scholarships

L’Oréal - UNESCO international fellowships program fellowships for women in life sciences.

Catharine van Tussenbroek fonds (in Dutch) scholarships for female scientist to travel abroad.

KNAW Merianprijs (in Dutch) prize of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences for excellent female scientists.

Grants

• Awards for woman in STEM 
• Career Guide Grants
• Career Guide Prizes
• Career Guide Fellowships
• NWO closely monitors ‘women in science’ and launched various policy initiatives. One of the initiatives is the introduction of special programs for women
• MEERVOUD (MEER Vrouwelijke Onderzoekers als UD) for post-docs engaged in research in biology, the earth sciences, mathematics, computer science, chemistry and other physical sciences
• Athena for Veni laureates
• Aspasia for Vidi and Vici laureates
• FOm/v (in Dutch) (FOM, Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter) for Phd’s and post-docs
• Small Business Grants available to Female Entrepreneurs

Numbers and statistics

Regarding women at top positions at the University of Twente.
Monitor women professors in 2009.
The state of affairs with respect to women in university positions and academic decision-making bodies

PROMOTION CRITERIA

Each faculty at the UT elaborated their own set of promotion criteria (based on UFO) for the tenure track (UD2-UD1-UHD2-Adjunct professor). These criteria give an indication of the minimum requirements to be fulfilled in order to be promoted to the next level. Each individual will be evaluated by the tenure track committee of the faculty: at the entry of the track, after two years and after five years. The majority of the faculties use the same criteria to evaluate the promotion applications of internal candidates.

The following faculties have their criteria on their website. 
TNW
BMS
ITC
For the other faculties, you can ask your HR manager about the procedures and criteria for promotion.

RECENT STUDIES ON GENDER IN ACADEMIA

Academic research plays an important role in uncovering bias and helping to shape a more equal society. But academia also struggles to adequately confront persistent and entrenched gender bias in its own corridors. Read more information.

OBP Women network (Dutch only)
Training programmes and courses
Mentor programme
Mentor day of LNVH

ADDITIONAL LITERATURE

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

ARTICLES

• Reshma Saujani: Teach girls bravery, not perfection
• Girls Who Code Clubs Organization Reshma Saujani
• Prof en moeder zijn, elders kan het prima, (in Dutch) article in NRC next (March 2010)
• Mevrouw de Professor, (in Dutch) article in Esta (February 2010)
• Crumbling Ivory Towers: Academic Organizing and its Gender Effects, Yvonne Benschop and Margo Brouns, Gender, Work and Organization, 10 (2), 194-212, 2003

OTHER LINKS

• Networking and Professional Development Resources for Woman in STEM
• Resources for Women in Computer Technology
• Resources to help women break into Kubernetes 
• Academic Mamas: Motherhood and Academia
• International Day of Women and Girls in Science
• Vier vrouwelijke wetenschappers krijgen Wise positie toegewezen
• The television program All women on top (in Dutch) is broadcasted on RTL7.
• Information about the VAWO Scientists’ Union (vakbond) (mostly in Dutch). Jorgen Svensson is the representative at the University of Twente.
• Nederlands Genootschap Vrouwenstudies (in Dutch) - website of the Institute for Gender Studies of the Radboud University Nijmegen.
• VHTO - National expert organisation girls/women and science/technology makes an effort to increase the involvement of women and girls in science and technology education, the technological employment market and government policy.
• http://www.talentnaardetop.nl/ Het initiatief voor meer vrouwen naar de top. Het Charter Talent naar de Top is een publiek commitment, een code met heldere afspraken voor het realiseren van m/v diversiteit aan de (sub) top. Ondertekening van het Charter is vrijwillig maar niet vrijblijvend.
• The website of Virginia Valian regarding the Gender Equity Projects contains a lot of information about women in science, professional development, etc.
• Coding Resources for Women at Every Stage of Their Career