CNPq cites maternity in USP professor’s opinion – 01/11/2024 – Science

An opinion issued by CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development) mentioned the motherhood of professor Cibele Russo, from the Institute of Mathematical and Computing Sciences at USP in São Carlos, as a justification for low productivity in scientific production.

The document, issued on December 22, 2023, cites the number of master’s and doctoral students supervised in the period, pointing out that maternity leaves “partially” explain the “small number of students trained”.

She also points out that the postpartum period affected her publications.

“The proponent took maternity leave during the period and this certainly affects scientific production in a very significant way”, states the opinion. “Furthermore, I believe that with two older children, he will focus on increasing his scientific production and training master’s and doctoral students.”

The researcher had the productivity grant for which she had applied rejected by the funding agency.

For Russo, one of the main problems is that personal life becomes the object of evaluation by researchers who are mothers, a problem that does not happen with men, for example.

“For other researchers, it’s the low quantity or quality of articles or guidance or quality of the project. But for women who are mothers, the issue of motherhood always appears. So, it’s like, ‘look, her production was low, but It’s also because she had a child, right?’. So, that’s what bothers most, is the personal issue being mentioned in the scientific opinion, where it should only discuss the quality of the work”, she tells the report.

Wanted by Sheetthe CNPq stated that it would not take a position on the case, as a note published at the beginning of January would include the questions in the report about the researcher’s motherhood being mentioned in her evaluation.

The note says that the agency’s Executive Board determined that an investigative procedure be opened to analyze the preparation and processing of the opinions, which it called “prejudiced”.

“Finally, the CNPq reiterates its commitment to diverse and inclusive science, considering gender, ethnic-racial dimensions and regional asymmetries, not tolerating attitudes that express prejudices of any nature, be they gender, race, sexual orientation, religion or creed political”, he says in a note.

Another researcher, who asked not to be identified, also had motherhood mentioned as a “personal problem” in a rejoinder issued by the CNPq. After the scholarship application was rejected, she filed an appeal stating, among arguments about her scientific production, that her productivity decreased in the period between 2016 and 2017 as a result of her pregnancy and the birth of her first child.

“With the understanding that personal problems certainly greatly influence our professional activity, these cannot, however, in any way alter a strictly scientific opinion such as that presented by colleagues from the CA [comitê de acessoramento]”, second excerpt of the opinion.

At the end of 2023, professor Maria Carlotto, from the International Relations course at UFABC (Federal University of São Carlos), revealed that an opinion from the agency stated that “her pregnancies probably hindered” her postdoctoral studies outside the country, ” which could be compensated in the future”.

Carlotto also had his scholarship application rejected by the CNPq.

Following his report, the agency made it mandatory to extend two years per pregnancy or adoption for the evaluation of scholarship recipients who are mothers.

The productivity grant works as remuneration for high-performance researchers who stand out in their research areas. In the selection process, criteria are evaluated, such as the research project, curriculum and scientific production of candidates, who must have a doctorate degree. With the change, the productivity of mother researchers is analyzed taking into account additional years.

Before, the initiative existed, but it was optional and was up to the committee in each area. Until then, only 35% of them had included the maternity or parental clause in their notices.

Although they consider it an advance, researchers also question whether the measure is sufficient. A Parent in Science study that assesses the impact of motherhood and fatherhood on scientific careers showed that, after the birth of the first child, the drop in the number of scientific publications among women can last for at least four years.

The quantity and quality of publications is one of the main factors evaluated when entities grant academic grants.

For Helena Nader, president of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and professor emeritus at the Escola Paulista de Medicina, the extension granted to mother researchers should not be seen as a privilege, since scientific studies indicate that after the birth of children, mothers’ productivity drops by higher level than the father.

“If I only look at numbers I will continue to do injustices”, he says. “It shouldn’t be seen as a privilege. And this should be considered by same-sex couples too. Being present isn’t just about giving birth. Giving birth is painful, but it’s easy. The difficult part is what comes after. Being present, creating. “

For the researcher, this is not an extra benefit, but a recognition of the relevance of the role in society.

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