STEM FTI director Maria Santore, says the national magazine’s recognition is a welcome honor. “I am extremely pleased that this powerful program is being recognized at the national level. The success of STEM FTI is a testament to the hard work and commitment of everyone involved, from those of us who run the program to the travelers who have advocated for childcare benefits and promoted STEM FTI across the country.”
Since 2010, the STEM FTI program on campus has worked to remove travel-related barriers to the advancement of STEM researchers with dependent-care responsibility to provide both “funding and inspiration,” Pearson and Spencer write. The program is made possible by a grant from the Elsevier Foundation and support from campus and several centers. It provides professional travel grants up to $1,200 per calendar year. To date, STEM FTI has helped with dependent care support for 104 trips by 59 faculty and postdoctoral researchers.