RWTH: The Visibility of Scientific Achievements

Moreover, the initiative seeks to change the structures and processes that prevent women’s academic achievements from getting the recognition they deserve. RWTH is a partner in this project, which is led by the Institute of Sociology at the University of Duisburg-Essen and the Essen College for Gender Studies.

The project aims to reflect on our own and society’s understanding of performance, excellence, and innovation: Who gets recognized as an expert or innovator and why? How are scientific achievements brought to the public’s attention, and how are they publicly negotiated? What do women in science, research, and innovation have to do early on in their careers to win their space in the limelight as researchers and innovators?

Based on an interview study, early-career researchers’ perspectives on the concepts of excellence, innovation, and performance are being explored. In the interviews, the researchers also had the opportunity to express their views on career strategies, strategic positioning in the in the public sphere, and science communication. The findings of the study will be presented and discussed in so-called dialogue events.