We invite applications to "Women in Physics Canada", a three-day conference which will take place from Tuesday, July 19 to Thursday, July 21, 2011 jointly at Perimeter Institute and the Institute for Quantum Computing, Waterloo, Ontario. This conference, aimed at undergraduates and early graduates, is intended to provide support to young women in physics, and to encourage them to continue in a career in physics. The main component of the conference will be student presentations and we invite participants from all areas of physics to present their research. There will also be several keynote lectures, opportunities for discussions with more senior physicists and interactions with our invited speakers and local researchers.
We welcome participants at all stages of their career, however as the event is intended to benefit students, all contributed talks will be given by student participants. Students who have not yet had the opportunity to complete a research project are also welcome. The conference will provide a forum for young female physicists to develop both presentation and informal discussion skills, and will also facilitate the creation of informal support networks between peers. In so doing, this event will help women physicists at an early stage of their career develop the skills and confidence essential to their continuing success.
The under-representation of Women in Science has seen much research in recent years, the results of which are still inconclusive. Physics fares even worse than other sciences: in Canada, around 20% of physics degrees, at undergraduate and postgraduate level, are awarded to women. By focusing on skills important for any young physicist, as well as encouraging students to make connections with peers, we hope that this conference can make a difference to young female physicists, now and as their careers progress. The schedule will also include a panel discussion, so that participants can hear directly from more senior women about what a career in physics entails.