New CV data shows parenthood’s unequal impact: women face greater research interruptions
The SNSF’s new CV allows researchers to specify how much time they’ve actually worked in research. Our analysis shows that women face more interruptions due to childbirth, care duties and part-time work than their male colleagues.
As part of the SNSF’s implementation of the DORA declaration, it introduced a new CV format designed to aid the assessment of the track record of researchers at very different career stages. A key feature is the option to report deductions for time not spent on academic research, such as periods of parental leave, illness or part-time employment. This change aims to create a fairer basis for evaluating research output and career progress in a competitive funding setting. By allowing for life events that can interrupt or reduce research activity, the new CV format acknowledges that academic careers do not unfold in a vacuum. Personal and structural factors – including those that disproportionately affect women – play a significant role in shaping academic trajectories.