Abstract

Abstract This article investigates the role of the gender composition of selection committees and connections in promoting women in research activities. Exploiting a newly created data set on recruitment processes at entry-level research positions in a leading Italian research centre that mainly operates in hard science, the article finds some evidence of bias against women at nontenured entry levels, which is attenuated by the presence of a woman on the selection committee. However, the most important predictor for recruitment appears to be previous connections with the research centre, which operates as selection device for women aiming to enter the research profession. The article concludes that female presences on the committees could help eliminate gender-biased preferences of male members towards same-sex candidates in selection committees for non-tenure-track positions. Moreover, more gender-neutral connections would be another mechanism to bring more equality between men and women in research.