The document summarizes the WIRES Network, which aims to connect women engineers from different countries and continents to engage in meaningful international research collaboration. WIRES has held three summits (WIRES1, WIRES2, WIRES3) to bring women together to share experiences, identify barriers to collaboration, and form new research partnerships. WIRES3 in 2014 focused on engineered solutions for sustainable infrastructure, energy, and information technology. The WIRES Network provides resources like an online participant directory and discussion forums to facilitate ongoing collaboration between summits.

1. Connecting Women and Completing the Circuit of International Research Collaboration
Mary Lynn Realff
Georgia Institute of Technology
WIRES3
June 2014
Norway
A partnership with European Commission – European Center for Women
and Technology (ECWT)
wiresnetwork.org
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2. Summit
Research on
collaboration and gender
Topical workshops
Education and outreach
Skills building
workshops
On-line research
meetings
WIRES ambassadors
Collaboration & technology
to market

3. Connecting Women and Completing the Circuit of International Research Collaboration
The WIRES Network
• Working towards Women-led teams to engage in
meaningful and sustained research.
• WIRES Network Participants are collaborating to solve the
large engineering problems of the world
• WIRES is connecting women from different countries and
continents who have similar career experiences. They are
engaged in research collaboration and also sharing career
experiences, challenges and successes.
• WIRES1 and WIRES2 Summit Participants act as role models
for other women who want to engage in international research
collaborations.
• WIRES1 and WIRES2 provides evidence of considerable
impact in terms of publications, new collaborations and joint
research projects
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4. WIRES Research Findings
1. For professionals in Europe and US, the three highest
barriers to international research collaborations are
obtaining funding, finding collaborators, and managing
work commitments.
2. The lowest reported barriers among professionals in
Europe and US are communication, family commitments,
and concern about time involved in collaboration.
3. US respondents perceive barriers differently for
themselves compared to “other women in own
institutions.”

5. Collaboration Poster
Traditional poster sessions are designed to convey technical
information and if collaborations are initiated, it is a “plus.” Here
we focus on identifying collaborators and technical information is
exchanged to enable the collaboration.

6. Collaboration Poster
Concise
description of
research
program
Area of
research
expertise
Type of
partners who
would be a
good fit with
research
interests
Results of a
few research
projects to
provide an idea
of research
interests and
contributions
Research
facilities that
are available
for research
collaboration

7. Participant Directory
The WIRES participant directory contains all of the women
engineers who were interested in international research
collaborations and is available online at
www.wires.gatech.edu.

8. Proposal Development Questions
General topic of the proposal: ________________________________
Proposed Project Team:
Name
_________________
_________________
Expertise
__________________
__________________
Comment
__________________
__________________
“G. H. Heilmeier's Catechism" for evaluating a research project
1. What are you trying to do? (Articulate your objectives using absolutely
no jargon.)
2. How is it done today and what are the limits of current practice?
3. What is new in your approach and why do you think it will be successful?
4. Who cares? If it is successful, what difference will it make?
5. What are the risk and the payoffs?
6. How much will it cost? How long will it take?
7. What are the midterm and “final" exams to check for success?
Time-line
Date
July 2014
September 2014
Action
Who is responsible

9. Essential Skills Sessions
• Every WIRES includes sessions that address
essential skills that help women’s career
development
– WIRES3 (2014) Technology to Market (T2M),
Innovation, and Entrepreneurship
– WIRES2 (2011) Negotiation skills and “Critical
Friends” network building workshops
– WIRES1 (2009) Gender Equity Issues that would
benefit from a global strategy

10. Connecting Women and Completing the Circuit of International Research Collaboration
WIRES3 Summit will focus on research
in engineered solutions to
– improve and make urban infrastructure
resilient and sustainable
– provide sustainable energy
– meet today’s information technology
needs and plan for the future.
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11. Connecting Women and Completing the Circuit of International Research Collaboration
WIRES On-line Discussions
(spring and summer 2013)
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Urban Infrastructure, 12 March at 10-11am
Sustainable Energy, 28 March at 10-11am
The Grid, 17 April at 10-11am
Biofuels, 30 April from 11am – 12pm
Learning & Gender Studies, 6 May, 10-11am
Materials, 22 May, 9am-10am
Information Technology, 18 June,
Water, 26 June, 7-8am
Wind Energy, 11 July, 9-10am
Urbaninfrastructure, 23 July, 9-10am
Nanotechnology, 8 August, 9-10am
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12. Connecting Women and Completing the Circuit of International Research Collaboration
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13. Connecting Women and Completing the Circuit of International Research Collaboration
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14. Connecting Women and Completing the Circuit of International Research Collaboration
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15. Connecting Women and Completing the Circuit of International Research Collaboration
Research
Interests
Other
Interests
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16. Dekoju!
Thank You!