The @VILLUMFONDEN has announced the recipients of their "Experiment" grant: 10% women. Before anyone jumps to conclusions I want to point something: the applications are anonymized and identity hidden. Why are women then still not succeeding? 1/4 #WomeninSTEM

Firstly, I don't know the gender ratio of applicants. If only 10% of applicants were women, we need to ask why women scientists are not being supported at their institutions in writing these kinds of applications 2/4

Secondly, the "Experiment" call emphasises the "bold idea". Research has shown that men are more likely to use words like "unique" or "excellent" when describing their own work https://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/male-scientists-praise-their-own-research-more 3/4

If this is the kind of language that gets you funded then we should ask why women are not receiving the mentorship they need to write in this style when clearly men are. 4/4

Finally, @VILLUMFONDEN and other foundations (looking at you @novonordiskfond , @DFF_raad) could do so much better making data on gender ratio public and findable. If we don't have the data how are we even going to start addressing this disparity? 5/4 @DANWISE_DK

... and yes, I know I am now at 6/4 in this thread but it is just so discouraging to yet again witness a gender ratio of applicants that are not even close to equality let alone equity.

I really applaud @VILLUMFONDEN's courage trying anonymized applications (although how anonymous they truly are is a separate q - in a small field it is easy to guess who is who). The results however reveal the flaws in the academic system.