The Women in STEM Ambassador

A simple tool for program evaluation is now available

The National Evaluation Guide is a new resource that will make program evaluation easy. This simple evaluation tool outlines how to create an evaluation plan, put it into action and share the findings. The Guide will make it easier to identify programs with the greatest impact to attract and keep girls and women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Click to find out more about the Guide.

Read the media release

Find and download the Evaluation Guide

Who are we?

The Office of the Women in STEM Ambassador is an Australian Government initiative to address gender equity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Led by Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith, the Office promotes awareness of STEM careers to young people, parents and carers, and works with educators to challenge gender stereotypes and promote inclusive and engaging STEM education for all.

We work with stakeholders across government, education and training, research and industry sectors to drive cultural and systemic change to institutions and workplaces that remove structural barriers and enable the full participation of women and girls in STEM education and careers.

In October 2018, the Australian Government appointed Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith as the inaugural Women in STEM Ambassador, a position outlined in the 2018-19 Budget as part of a $4.5 million package to encourage more women into STEM education and careers.

The Office is funded by a Commonwealth Grant and is hosted at the University of New South Wales. The work of the Office is closely aligned with the Australian Government’s Advancing Women in STEM Strategy and the Women in STEM Decadal Plan.

Featured resources

Future You - Be Everything You Ever Imagined

Future You is a national initiative that raises awareness of the exciting career possibilities and real-world applications of STEM skills. It smashes stereotypes about people working in STEM and inspires children to imagine their future selves in a STEM skilled career.

STEM story time - Interactive space adventure

STEM story time is an exciting interactive space adventure for early learners. Children aged 3-6 and their parents and carers join an astronaut on a journey to the International Space Station, learning about space and problem solving along the way!

What have we achieved so far?

Trialling the anonymisation of research grants igniting system-wide change in grant allocation processes in STEM in Australia

Driving a culture of evaluation and only funding what works

students, teachers and educators, policymakers, STEM research organisations and industry representatives reached

Schools visited across Australia

per cent increase of nominations for the Prime Minister's Prizes for Science from 2018 to 2019

People reached through media

Find us on socials

Our areas of work

What drives our work?

Our work complements existing activities that are driving greater gender equity in STEM, both government and sector led, and aims to improve co-ordination and national benefit from those activities.

Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

The Office of the Women in STEM Ambassador is committed to addressing inequities faced by women and girls in STEM. We acknowledge that the interconnected nature of social categorisations – such as gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, language, religion, class, socioeconomic status, gender identity, ability or age – create overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage for an individual or group within STEM fields, and our greater community.

Equity, diversity and inclusion within STEM drives innovation, productivity and progress and will enable all people to realise their potential regardless of background.