Inclusion of female participants in cardiovascular research: a case study of Ontario NSERC-funded programs

Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2020 Aug;45(8):911-914. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2019-0693. Epub 2020 Mar 9.

Abstract

This study explored inclusion of female participants in Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant (NSERC-DG)-funded human cardiovascular research at Ontario universities between 2010-2018. Ninety-six publications were examined and 4 principal investigators were interviewed. Females were excluded/underrepresented in 63% of publications with 49% male-only and 5% female-only samples. The sex-bias appears to be explained by dependence on research knowledge and methodologies that maintain and reproduce a firmly established discourse of the male norm. Novelty Female participants were underrepresented in NSERC DG-funded cardiovascular research at Ontario universities between 2010-2018.

Keywords: Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada; EPTC 2; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada; TCPS 2; basic science; biais liés au genre; entrevues; femmes; gender; genre; interviews; male norm; norme masculine; sciences fondamentales; sex bias; women.

MeSH terms

  • Biomedical Research*
  • Cardiovascular System*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Ontario
  • Research Subjects*
  • Sexism
  • Universities
  • Women*