Iran’s National Science Foundation: High female participation in basic sciences

The Women’s Affairs Representative at the National Science Foundation of Iran (INSF) Mahdieh Hosseinzadeh has announced a high level of female participation in basic sciences during the past Iranian year.

The public relations center of the office of the Vice President for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy cited Hosseinzadeh as saying that in the Persian year of 1403, a total of 545 research support grants were awarded to female researchers, accounting for 34% of all INSF-funded projects.
She noted that 42% of research in basic sciences, 25% in engineering and technology, 37% in medical sciences, 39% in agriculture and natural resources, and 34% in humanities were conducted by women researchers last year. Further, women led 25% of general research projects, 65% of postdoctoral initiatives, 21% of PhD dissertation projects, and 25% of international collaborations supported by the INSF. “We hope to see an even greater role for women in Iran’s science and technology ecosystem,” Hosseinzadeh added. She voiced hope that the trend will continue in the current Persian year of 1404.