IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/palcom/v12y2025i1d10.1057_s41599-025-05028-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Gender disparities in the STEM research enterprise in China

Author

Listed:
  • Kai Li

    (University of Tennessee at Knoxville)

  • Xiang Zheng

    (University of Wisconsin–Madison)

  • Chaoqun Ni

    (University of Wisconsin–Madison)

Abstract

Gender diversity is essential to the creation of high-quality research and scientific advances. This study provides a large-scale analysis of gender disparities in China’s scientific research enterprise, focusing on projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) between 2010 and 2015. We inferred highly accurate researcher genders based on names in Chinese characters and matched them to their Chinese and English-language publications. We reveal a significant underrepresentation of women in both principal investigator (PI) roles and team participation. Women PIs led only 23.3% of NSFC-funded projects between 2010 and 2015 and accounted for 27.1% of authors on these project teams. Gender disparities were prominent across all fields, with the largest gaps in computer and engineering-related fields and the smallest in health and life sciences. Notably, the disparity intensified in more prestigious Key programs and senior scientist ranks, while Young scientist programs exhibited comparatively greater gender balance, suggesting potential benefits of targeted early-career funding policies. Women PIs tend to build a more gender-balanced team than men PIs, although both tend to recruit more men team members than women. Gender-diverse teams produced significantly more publications for both women and men PIs. These findings underscore the need for targeted policy interventions, including increased support for gender-diverse teams, institutional incentives for women leaders, and broader inclusivity initiatives to foster a sustainable and equitable scientific community in China.

Suggested Citation

  • Kai Li & Xiang Zheng & Chaoqun Ni, 2025. "Gender disparities in the STEM research enterprise in China," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:12:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-025-05028-y
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-05028-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-025-05028-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41599-025-05028-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Vincent Larivière & Chaoqun Ni & Yves Gingras & Blaise Cronin & Cassidy R. Sugimoto, 2013. "Bibliometrics: Global gender disparities in science," Nature, Nature, vol. 504(7479), pages 211-213, December.
    2. Qiang Zhi & Tianguang Meng, 2016. "Funding allocation, inequality, and scientific research output: an empirical study based on the life science sector of Natural Science Foundation of China," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 106(2), pages 603-628, February.
    3. Zhang, Lin & Sivertsen, Gunnar & Du, Huiying & HUANG, Ying & Glänzel, Wolfgang, 2021. "Gender differences in the aims and impacts of research," SocArXiv 9n347, Center for Open Science.
    4. Cassidy R. Sugimoto & Chaoqun Ni & Vincent Larivière, 2015. "On the relationship between gender disparities in scholarly communication and country-level development indicators," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 42(6), pages 789-810.
    5. Fei Shu & Charles‐Antoine Julien & Vincent Larivière, 2019. "Does the web of science accurately represent chinese scientific performance?," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 70(10), pages 1138-1152, October.
    6. Xianwen Wang & Di Liu & Kun Ding & Xinran Wang, 2012. "Science funding and research output: a study on 10 countries," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 91(2), pages 591-599, May.
    7. Mathias Wullum Nielsen & Carter Walter Bloch & Londa Schiebinger, 2018. "Making gender diversity work for scientific discovery and innovation," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 2(10), pages 726-734, October.
    8. Xiaoyu Liu & Xuefeng Wang & Donghua Zhu, 2022. "Reviewer recommendation method for scientific research proposals: a case for NSFC," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(6), pages 3343-3366, June.
    9. repec:osf:socarx:9n347_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Ho Fai Chan & Benno Torgler, 2020. "Gender differences in performance of top cited scientists by field and country," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 125(3), pages 2421-2447, December.
    11. Jiale Yang & Qing Wu & Chuanyi Wang, 2022. "Research networks and the initial placement of PhD holders in academia: evidence from social science fields," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(6), pages 3253-3278, June.
    12. Huang, Yana & Wang, Tianyu, 2022. "MULAN in the name: Causes and consequences of gendered Chinese names," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    13. Lerchenmueller, Marc J. & Sorenson, Olav, 2018. "The gender gap in early career transitions in the life sciences," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(6), pages 1007-1017.
    14. Adèle Paul-Hus & Rébecca L. Bouvier & Chaoqun Ni & Cassidy R. Sugimoto & Vladimir Pislyakov & Vincent Larivière, 2015. "Forty years of gender disparities in Russian science: a historical bibliometric analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 102(2), pages 1541-1553, February.
    15. repec:plo:pone00:0079147 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Chaojiang Wu & Erjia Yan & Yongjun Zhu & Kai Li, 2021. "Gender imbalance in the productivity of funded projects: A study of the outputs of National Institutes of Health R01 grants," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 72(11), pages 1386-1399, November.
    17. Lin Zhang & Gunnar Sivertsen & Huiying Du & Ying Huang & Wolfgang Glänzel, 2021. "Gender differences in the aims and impacts of research," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(11), pages 8861-8886, November.
    18. Luke Holman & Devi Stuart-Fox & Cindy E Hauser, 2018. "The gender gap in science: How long until women are equally represented?," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(4), pages 1-20, April.
    19. Maliniak, Daniel & Powers, Ryan & Walter, Barbara F., 2013. "The Gender Citation Gap in International Relations," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 67(4), pages 889-922, October.
    20. Chuanyi Wang & Fei Guo & Qing Wu, 2021. "The influence of academic advisors on academic network of Physics doctoral students: empirical evidence based on scientometrics analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(6), pages 4899-4925, June.
    21. Katarina Prpić, 2002. "Gender and productivity differentials in science," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 55(1), pages 27-58, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Alexander Tekles & Katrin Auspurg & Lutz Bornmann, 2022. "Same-gender citations do not indicate a substantial gender homophily bias," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(9), pages 1-12, September.
    2. Yining Wang & Qiang Wu & Liangyu Li, 2024. "Examining the influence of women scientists on scientific impact and novelty: insights from top business journals," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 129(6), pages 3517-3542, June.
    3. Sánchez-Jiménez, Rodrigo & Guerrero-Castillo, Pablo & Guerrero-Bote, Vicente P. & Halevi, Gali & De-Moya-Anegón, Félix, 2024. "Analysis of the distribution of authorship by gender in scientific output: A global perspective," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 18(3).
    4. Yuanyuan Shang & Gunnar Sivertsen & Zhe Cao & Lin Zhang, 2022. "Gender differences among first authors in research focused on the Sustainable Development Goal of Gender Equality," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(8), pages 4769-4796, August.
    5. Shang, Yuanyuan & Sivertsen, Gunnar & Cao, Zhe & Zhang, Lin, 2021. "Gender differences in research focused on the Sustainable Development Goal of Gender Equality," SocArXiv 3fapz, Center for Open Science.
    6. Anna Kiss & Sándor Soós & Andrea Petróczi, 2024. "Impact as equalizer: the demise of gender-related differences in anti-doping research," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 129(7), pages 4071-4108, July.
    7. Manuel Goyanes & Tamás Tóth & Gergő Háló, 2024. "Gender differences in google scholar representation and impact: an empirical analysis of political communication, journalism, health communication, and media psychology," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 129(3), pages 1719-1737, March.
    8. Thelwall, Mike & Kousha, Kayvan & Stuart, Emma & Makita, Meiko & Abdoli, Mahshid & Wilson, Paul & Levitt, Jonathan, 2023. "Do bibliometrics introduce gender, institutional or interdisciplinary biases into research evaluations?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(8).
    9. Wullum Nielsen, Mathias & Börjeson, Love, 2019. "Gender diversity in the management field: Does it matter for research outcomes?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(7), pages 1617-1632.
    10. Thamyres T. Choji & Manuel J. Cobo & Jose A. Moral-Munoz, 2024. "Is the scientific impact of the LIS themes gender-biased? A bibliometric analysis of the evolution, scientific impact, and relative contribution by gender from 2007 to 2022," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 129(10), pages 6023-6047, October.
    11. Arjun Prakash & Jeevan John Varghese & Shruti Aggarwal, 2024. "Gender of gender studies: examining regional and gender-based disparities in scholarly publications," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 129(7), pages 4471-4493, July.
    12. repec:osf:socarx:ep5bx_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Nakajima, Kazuki & Liu, Ruodan & Shudo, Kazuyuki & Masuda, Naoki, 2023. "Quantifying gender imbalance in East Asian academia: Research career and citation practice," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 17(4).
    14. Tanya Araújo & Elsa Fontainha, 2018. "Are scientific memes inherited differently from gendered authorship?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 117(2), pages 953-972, November.
    15. Antonio De Nicola & Gregorio D’Agostino, 2021. "Assessment of gender divide in scientific communities," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(5), pages 3807-3840, May.
    16. Kjersten Bunker Whittington & Molly M. King & Isabella Cingolani, 2024. "Structure, status, and span: gender differences in co-authorship networks across 16 region-subject pairs (2009–2013)," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 129(1), pages 147-179, January.
    17. Manuel Goyanes & Marton Demeter & Nataša Simeunović Bajić & Homero Gil Zúñiga, 2025. "Gender disparities in first authorship: examining the Matilda effect across communication, political science, and sociology," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 130(5), pages 2947-2961, May.
    18. Roberta Ruggieri & Fabrizio Pecoraro & Daniela Luzi, 2021. "An intersectional approach to analyse gender productivity and open access: a bibliometric analysis of the Italian National Research Council," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(2), pages 1647-1673, February.
    19. Marek Kwiek & Wojciech Roszka, 2022. "Are female scientists less inclined to publish alone? The gender solo research gap," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(4), pages 1697-1735, April.
    20. Junwan Liu & Zining Cui & Chenchen Huang & Yinglu Song, 2025. "Choosing a career partner: birds of a feather flock together," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 130(5), pages 2749-2781, May.
    21. Wenxuan Shi & Renli Wu, 2024. "Women’s strength in science: exploring the influence of female participation on research impact and innovation," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 129(7), pages 4529-4551, July.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:12:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-025-05028-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.nature.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.