Glass Ceiling in Research: Evidence from a National Program in Uruguay

Female researchers have lower probability of being accepted into the largest national research support program than male researchers. Observable characteristics explain 4.9 points of the7.1 gender gap. The gap is wider at the... [ view full abstract ]

Female researchers have lower probability of being accepted into the largest national research support program than male researchers. Observable characteristics explain 4.9 points of the7.1 gender gap. The gap is wider at the higher ranks of the program. Results are robust to issues of bidirectionality (research productivity and probability of being accepted), joint determination and correlation of variables, and productivity effects at early stages of career development. The paper tests three hypotheses for the gender gap (an original sin in the organization of the system, composition biases in the evaluation committees, and field effects) and finds some evidence for each.