Project Results
On this page, we would like to present our project results to date. This includes the results of our surveys, interviews and conversations with parents and conference organizers on the topic of "family-friendly conferences". Family-friendliness can look very different, which is why we would like to collect experience reports and impressions here. We wish to initiate an exchange among parents, conference organizers and each other. We are very happy to receive further suggestions, experience reports, ideas or questions, please contact us using the details below!
Survey Results
In fall 2023, our first survey on the topic of "family-friendly conferences" was conducted via the Empirio platform. Both academics with and without children were surveyed. The survey was advertised via email distribution lists, posters, postcards and social networks such as X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.
The aim of the survey is to get an overview of the support needs of parents in the sciences, especially at conferences, and to find out which measures are perceived as helpful. At the same time, we focus on the acceptance of the measures among scientists without children. In a next step, the results will be used as a qualitative basis to ask for a detailed evaluation of the support measures in a second, representative survey.
Get-Together
On June 30, 2023, the first get-together on the topic of "What makes a family-friendly conference?" took place as part of our project. Parents in the geosciences were invited via e-mail distribution lists. In joint discussions, the difficulties, wishes and successes were discussed with the help of a miro board. The get-together was intended to provide an initial basis for creating the survey.
The following points were worked out here:
- "Awareness" : Awareness of the difficulties as a mother/father in the sciences is very important for many parents in their working environment.
- "Mental load": It is helpful if conference organizers approach parents in advance of an event and show that they are aware and willing to find individual solutions for participants with family responsibilities.
- How and whether you can take part in offers for families is always individual (childcare is not always an option).
- Participation in conferences is still very much dependent on the financial situation and the parents' own childcare options.
Interviews with Conference Organizers
As part of this project, we are contacting organizers of conferences in the geosciences and conducting interviews via questionnaires and in person. We would like to find out which support services already exist and where the challenges lie in implementing family-friendly measures. In addition, the information on support services for a number of conferences will be summarized and made available to parents.
The results of the interviews can be found here soon.
Offers of the Institute
As part of this project, we will also extend the support services for parents and families at our institute, the Meteorological Institute of the University of Bonn. The aim is to support working and studying with children and increase the family-friendliness of workshops and conferences that take place on site.
To this end, a changing table was purchased with the support of the University of Bonn's Family Office. In addition, a room is to be redesigned as a parent-child room with workstations.
Contact
Lisa Schielicke
Chair holder by proxy
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