WIS-PDX Survey results: People in STEM are not okay. We need community support and employment resources.
Across STEM fields, people and the institutions they work for are being impacted by federal actions targeting the sciences. In February 2025, Women in Science Portland launched an ongoing survey to assess how these actions are impacting scientists in our community. As of April 2025, 23 individuals have responded.
The survey results suggest that the impact of abrupt federal actions will have pervasive and long-term effects on individuals in STEM, and identifies common desires for community action and support.
Key survey findings
91% predict lasting or drastic effects of federal actions on their careers in STEM
22% feel their current position is secure or likely secure
0% perceive that others in STEM are secure
Most respondents are looking for employment resources, community support and ways to fight back.
Want to contribute your perspective? Take the survey here!
Getting involved with your STEM community
As individuals in STEM face a newly destabilized landscape, involvement in the local STEM community may help provide much needed support, connection, and resources. Women in Science PDX is one of those communities, providing connection, community, and career development in an interdisciplinary forum for folks in Portland and surrounding areas.
There are many ways to get involved, including through volunteering, attending our events, and becoming a member. Upcoming events include a plant-exchange happy hour in May, and an event focused on unemployment resources in June.
Upcoming Events:
