Unpacking Gender Disparities in Grant Seeking Behaviour at the University of Cambridge: Analysis by Discipline and Seniority

A diverse body of empirical research has produced mixed findings on gender disparities in research funding. Only a few of these studies effectively control for the structural factors of discipline and seniority of applicants. We have conducted the first institution-wide analysis of grant applications using high-resolution administrative data to understand gender-based differences in funding outcomes. We included 18,583 applications submitted between 2015 and 2023 and assessed whether women applied for grants at different rates, requested different amounts, or had different success rates. After adjusting for seniority and disciplinary area, we found no evidence of consistent gender disparities in application rate. Historical gender disparities in application size in favour of men were observed but did not persist. Weak evidence for gender disparities for success rate was observed in favour of women, which disappeared after controlling for application size. However, when examining individual disciplines and seniorities, gender disparities in both directions were observed for rate, size and success. These findings highlight the importance of separating structural and individual factors in understanding funding disparities to allow for effective interventions; the value of institutional administrative data in allowing this type of analysis; and highlight the role of structural (career stage and disciplinary) disparities in the gender disparities seen in scientific research.