여성연구원의 연구단절 최소화방안 연구

Abstract

본 연구의 목적은 여성연구원의 출산 및 육아 혹은 기타 이유로 인한 연구단절을 최소화하여 연구의 연속성을 유지할 수 있는 합리적이고 효율적인 방안을 도출하여 제도적으로 지원할 수 있는 정책대안을 제시하고자 연구단절의 실태와 요인을 분석하고 이를 통한 시사점을 제시하고자 하는 것이다. 더불어 본 연구 결과는 여성연구원의 연구단절 최소화를 위하여 단절이 일어나기 전 인력 양성 단계에서의 단절예방책, 취업 후 재직 중 단절방지책, 이미 연구단절이 일어난 연구원을 위한 단절기간축소책과 단절 중 경력개발 지원을 통한 재진입기회제공책 등의 생애주기별, 경력단계별 연구단절 예방 및 최소화 지원제도 방안을 수립하는 데 기초자료로 활용될 것이다.

The purpose of this study was to develop a policy plan to minimize career interruption of female researchers in the science, engineering, and technology field. We analyzed the current situation of female scientists' career interruption in terms of their life cycle through master's and doctoral degree program period, the employment period, and the career-interrupted period. First, during the educational period, we found that many female students in the science and engineering (S&M) field have troubles in sustaining and researching in male-oriented laboratory environments and have been tempted to quit their study. Second, during the employment period, we found that many of female researchers have some difficulties in taking care of their children and family and keeping work-and-life balance. Due to their family responsibilities, it is more difficult for women researchers to utilize opportunities of participating in long-term education and training sessions and business travels than their male counterparts, although women are given the equal opportunities. Even more, researchers in S&E frequently over-work and therefore, they often experience physical and mental health problems. Third, during the career-interrupted period, we found that many women researchers decided to leave work because they would like to spend more quality time with their children and support their children's adjustment in the elementary school environment. Those who had quit the job in S&E seem to have a less chance to re-enter the S&E labor market than other fields. Moreover, female researchers who have been on leave for several years do not try to start on taking part in a re-entrance training program due to the lack of confidence and psychological atrophy. In addition, most of training programs for empowering women researchers are not well-designed to meet their specific needs and often focus on general humanity or hobby-related education, rather than vocational education in S&E. The basic principles of the policy plan to minimize the career interruptions are in four folds: 1) develop a quality child care system to meet the needs of women researchers in the science, engineering, and technology field; 2) ensure equal education and employment opportunities for both male and female researchers; 3) empower women researchers throughout their career cycle and remove employment discrimination for whom are already left out of work; and 4) change our society's perspectives and give proper consideration to the career-interrupted female researchers. In conclusion, seven strategies in the policy for minimizing the career interruptions of female researchers in S&E are as follow: 1) develop educational programs that promote gender perspectives in S&E research and education; 2) set up a public agency that supports female researchers' employment and career development issues, and dispatches qualified professionals to workplace; 3) initiate small-grant research projects for female researchers who are in non-standard and atypical employment, 4) improve the working environments and laboratory conditions in which female researchers feel safe to work; 5) develop career management and support programs for core female researchers; 6) integrate basic four social insurances (i.e., employment insurance, medical insurance, industrial accident compensation insurance, national pension act) into manpower expenses of the national R&D project budget item; 7) ensure the family-friendly employment such as allowing split the use of childcare leave whenever female researchers wish.