Become a GWIS member!

Our Mission

To advance the participation and recognition of women in science and to foster research through grants, awards, and fellowships.

Our History

Women graduate students from Cornell University founded SDE/GWIS (often referred to as GWIS) in 1921. Currently we have 12 active chapters throughout the United States and members who do not live in the vicinity of a city or university chapter can be affiliated with Omega chapter. Members from Canada and other countries are also included in Omega’s membership.

Our Membership Requirements

If you hold a baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited institution, or equivalent degree from a foreign institution, and if you are or have been engaged in post-baccalaureate research, or are registered for research, in one of the mathematical, physical or biological sciences, or any discipline in which the scientific method is used, you are invited to join. Many of our members hold masters and doctoral degrees. Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, in particular, can benefit from the advice and networking that GWIS can offer during this formative stage of their career.

Benefits of Membership

• Meet other women scientists with diverse backgrounds and interests
• Develop leadership and team building skills, essential in today’s workplace.
• Gain insight into balancing personal and professional life.
• Obtain financial assistance in the form of GWIS fellowships and grants, which are awarded annually for research.
• Receive a Membership Directory of members in many scientific disciplines.
• Access our newly designed and higher functionality website, and ever increasing number of linked chapter websites
• Receive GWIS News, a monthly e-newsletter with current information on the membership, fellowships, and grant information.
• Receive The Bulletin, a quarterly newsletter, about the membership, events, and activities.
• Participate in Chapter activities of your choice. These may include: monthly meetings with scientific speaker, science fair judging, speakers’ bureau, K-12 outreach, and numerous other activities specific to each chapter.

National Activities

• Provide a forum to discuss members’ interest including research, employment opportunities, science outreach, education, public policy, and much more.
• Support women graduate and undergraduate students in science.
• Co-sponsor scientific symposia and other projects with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and other professional organizations.
• Recognize women who have made exceptional contributions to research or science education.
• Award National fellowships in support of research and travel to scientific meetings.

Tax-exempt Status

GWIS is a 501(c)(3) organization and contributions and dues are fully deductible.

Chapter Activities

New or Renewing Members:

All members of GWIS are invited and encouraged to join a local chapter. We have 11 active chapters and one US chapter-at-large.  Please locate your chapter below and pay dues on-line with a credit card. If you choose not to use a credit card, then print out the Membership application form from the National Brochure (below) and fill it out. Combine the chapter dues and the National dues and send your check for the total amount to the address below.

The chapters are located in:

Boston, MA (Alpha Omega)- Pay dues on-line
Chicago, IL (Eta)-(proposed)
Honolulu, HA and Pacific Rim (Alpha Lambda)- Pay dues on-line
Ithaca, NY (Alpha)-(inactive)
Madison, WI (Beta) –Pay dues on-line
New York, NY (Kappa) - Pay dues on-line
Penn State University (Nu)- Pay dues on-line
Pullman, WA (Psi) - Pay dues-on-line
Orange County, CA (Sigma)- Pay dues on-line
Research Triangle, NC (Rho Tau)-Pay dues on-line
San Diego, CA (Tau) – Pay dues on-line
Twin Cities, MN (Xi)- Pay dues on-line
Washington, DC (Omicron)- Pay dues on-line
Chapter-at-Large and International (Omega)- Pay dues on-line

Chapter Dues:

Note: By end of 2009, our goal is to have all chapters with their dues on-line plus a $3 processing fee. Therefore, locate the chapter in the city that you live; then click on the “Pay Dues on-line” and use your credit card to pay your dues. Otherwise, download the National Brochure with the membership application form, determine the chapter dues form the table above, add the National dues to the chapter dues, and submit a check for the total (made to GWIS). Send with the filled out membership application form to:

Membership Secretary
Dr. Kathleen Carlson
U.S. PO Box 240607
St. Paul, MN
55124-0607

A chapter representative should be contacting you shortly following your payment; but if not, please feel free to contact: Dee McManus, Executive Director, gwised@gwis.org.