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WOMEN’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN STEM 723

of funds for programs targeting STEM pathways for programs, encourage commercialization and tech-
female and minority students and targeting higher nology transfer from federally funded agencies’
education preparation for these groups, increasing investments in research through competitive rounds
industry participation in STEM-support programs of funding. A participant in a SBIR/STTR workshop
for women, and increasing collaborative resources on diversity and innovation suggested launching
for multiple agencies involved in crafting early STEM a “Phase Zero” program for women and minority
curricula (31,32). The Institute for Women’s Policy entrepreneurs that would serve as a precursor to the
Research suggests encouraging state-level educa- highly competitive Phase I and II SBIR/STTR fund-
tion agencies to monitor the access and outcomes ing (37).
of women in technical education programs, in par- Additional recommendations focus on strategies
ticular those that are high-skill, high-wage, and not to communicate and improve access to resources
traditionally pursued by women, as is mandated in beyond established networks. To facilitate access to
the Perkins Act (33). Additionally, enforcing gender resources, some suggest that hotlines to communi-
equity regulations in STEM in college environments, cate commercialization opportunities or resources
such as Title IX, a law that prohibits discrimination on to women entrepreneurs may ease the intellectual
the basis of sex in education, might increase partici- property filing process (32). Additionally, infor-
pation (34,35). Resources examining the application mal educational and networking opportunities for
of Title IX in STEM suggest targeting university Title women entrepreneurs may increase commercializa-
IX coordinators to include STEM disciplines in com- tion behaviors (36).
pliance reviews. Improvements to Commercial Outputs among
In the classroom and on campus, policy rec- STEM Women in Academia
ommendations center on practical offerings for Policy recommendations specific to women
under-represented students in STEM. Suggestions who work in academia, distinct from industry-em-
specifically focus on reducing known barriers to ployed counterparts, focus on tenure award decisions.
women and minority students, including creating Specifically, recommendations advocate that tenure
inclusive networks through mentorship, a challenge decision criteria include commercialization-oriented
that many minority women face in developing careers criteria. If tenure criteria prioritized commercializa-
in STEM. On the institutional side, for minority and tion activities, it follows that women academics may
non-minority women, policy recommendations focus be more likely to pursue commercialization behaviors
on developing curricula that emphasize real-world and outputs. The focus on tenure decisions targets
problems and the applied nature of STEM careers, individual researchers’ commercialization incentives
boosting paid internship programs to increase profes- and differs from historical policies, such as the Bayh-
sional experience of women in STEM, and increasing Dole Act of 1980. The Bayh-Dole Act took a broad
visibility of women and minority role-models work- stance on engaging academia in commercialization
ing in STEM fields (31). by allowing universities to patent research from federally
Improving Women’s Role in Commercialization funded programs, but its impact remains unclear (30).
and Entrepreneurship Other policy recommendations focused on aca-
demia involve the use of university technology
Policies targeting the commercialization and transfer offices as a powerful mechanism to reduce
entrepreneurship in STEM fields also aim to reduce gender discrimination. Specifically, a white paper
some of the obstacles identified in the literature. produced by the Association for Women in Science
Several sources suggest that increasing the visibility suggests that implicit bias training and increased out-
of federal programs that serve to accelerate innova- reach to women-dominated fields may be important
tion may attract women to resources already flagged in supporting academic commercialization efforts
to promote STEM innovators (36). Two such pro- from a psychological perspective (27). Additional
grams, the Small Business Innovation Research and policy recommendations include reducing the
Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) emphasis on hierarchical work relations in science,