The National Science Foundation is introducing new workplace flexibility policies to make it easier for people to both pursue a research career and raise a family. “I was absolutely thrilled” to hear about the NSF Career–Life Balance Initiative, says Angela Speck, an astrophysics professor at the University of Missouri who has a spouse in academia and two children. “It sends a message that it’s okay to take a break.” Not only will the initiative help those who want to have or adopt children, she says, but it will also make it easier for supervisors to “find ways to make it work. It’s an important move.”
At a White House event marking the 26 September rollout of NSF’s new initiative, First Lady Michelle Obama said, “If we’re going to out-innovate and out-educate the rest of the world, we’ve got to open doors for everyone. We need all hands on deck, and...
