There are a number of resources available to assist the transition back to work including:
- Women Returners Network - a charity which works to help women who want to return to work after a career break:
- Women Returners Network page- dedicated to scientists
- WiTEC Resource Centre for Women in SET a Resource centre for women's career development in SET containing contacts, courses, information on funding, resources, conferences and job opportunities. Contact by email: witec@inovaconsult.com
Available funding
- Elsie Widdowson fellowships aim to allow a returning member of staff to concentrate initially on consolidating her research activity and will fund half salary costs for up to 12 months immediately following the birth of a child and you may hold a fellowship more than once.
- Daphne Jackson Fellowships, which are intended to help scientists and engineers retrain after taking time out for family commitments for up to two years.
- Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship which is a Royal Society scheme aimed at retaining the most able women in science at an early career stage Applicants of postdoctoral status, with no more than four years' postdoctoral research experience may apply.
- Wellcome Trust Career Re-entry Fellowships are for postdoctoral scientists in the biomedical sciences to return to research after a career break of at least two years. Four years' duration.
- Embo Fellowships may be awarded for a period of up to 24 months. Applicants who interrupted their career due to childcare for at least 1 year will also be given special consideration when applying to stay within the same country.
- Rosalind Franklin Award - Royal Society - the Royal Society's Rosalind Franklin Award is made to an individual for an outstanding contribution to any area of natural science, engineering or technology (SET). While open to both sexes, the recipient of the award is expected to spend a proportion of the grant on implementing a project to raise the profile of women in STEM in their institution and/or fi eld of expertise.
- L'Oréal UK and Ireland Fellowships For Women In Science Launched in January 2007, these Fellowships are offered to promote, enhance and encourage the contribution of women pursuing their research careers in the UK or Ireland in the fields of the life and physical sciences. Four fellowships, worth £15,000, are awarded annually to outstanding female postdoctoral researchers. The deadline for the 2013 application round is Friday 15th March.
- British Federation of Women Graduates Scholarships Founded in 1907, the British Federation of Women Graduates (BFWG) has been providing Scholarships Funds for women in their final year of study for a PhD since 1912. Its wholly owned subsidiary charity Funds for Women Graduates makes awards to help women graduates while undertaking postgraduate study or research.
-
Janet Thornton Fellowship: The Wellcome Sanger Institute have a dedicated fellowship which is to enable and open routes back into science for those who have had a break from scientific research – for any reason.