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The report comes a year too early for the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik, but the sense of societal urgency should be commensurate to that moment of crisis in American history. The National Academies urge the comprehensive reform of American academia to overcome existing barriers to female advancement in science and engineering:

Women face barriers to hiring and promotion in research universities in many fields of science and engineering -- a situation that deprives the United States of an important source of talent as the country faces increasingly stiff global competition in higher education, science and technology, and the marketplace, says a new report from the National Academies. Eliminating gender bias in universities requires immediate, overarching reform and decisive action by university administrators, professional societies, government agencies, and Congress.

Read the full report, Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering. A related National Academies report, To Recruit and Advance: Women Students and Faculty in Science and Engineering, is likewise essential reading.