Caregivers in science need more support, say US academies

Responsibilities clash with academic norms of being “always available and visibly working”

Federal agencies and academic institutions in the US should provide more support to scientific workers who are providing care to family members, a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine has recommended.

“The US science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine [Stemm] workforce faces a lack of governmental and organisational support for caregiving that needs to be addressed to ensure inclusion and continued innovation and competitiveness,” says the report published on 11 April.