Women in Cognitive Science – Canada / Les Chercheuses en Sciences Cognitives - Canada

WiCSC+ is the Canadian Chapter of Women in Cognitive Science + (WiCSC+ – Women in Cognitive Science Canada +), an NSF-funded organization in the U.S. affiliated with the Psychonomic Society. Heading into its 20th year in 2021, WiCS+ has offered important professional development and networking opportunities to women (and people of all other genders) scientists in the fields of cognitive science, cognitive neuroscience, and related disciplines.  We hope WiCSC+ will enable similar opportunities, in a way that is tailored to the Canadian research context. The official launch of WiCSC+ occurred on June 2016 at the Meeting of CSBBCS / SCSCCC, held at the University of Ottawa, thanks to seed funding from the NSERC Unique Initiatives Fund, and support from CSBBCS.

At the 2024 CSBBCS / SCSCCC annual conference in Edmonton, AB, Women in Cognitive Science-Canada + (WiCSC+, https://wicsc.ca/) held its eighth highly successful annual meeting. This event capped the first round of WiCSC+ initiatives, which the CSBBCS membership had voted in December 2016 to support at $7500/year of funding over 5 years (no-cost extensions were granted due to unspent funds when WiCSC+ meetings were virtual during the pandemic).  

CSBBCS’ yearly support of WiCSC+ since 2017, co-founded and originally co-directed by Penny Pexman (Western U) and Debra Titone (McGill U), empowered a series of novel and highly successful programs, delivered at CSBBCS and beyond, that promoted visibility and professional opportunities for women cognitive scientists in Canada, and offered numerous training resources, networking, and visibility opportunities to all cognitive scientists in Canada. Like most grass-roots organizations, WiCSC+ depends on volunteers to plan and execute all its activities. As of June 2024, WiCSC+ is co-directed by Erin Maloney (U Ottawa) and Debra Titone, with Penny Pexman now serving on the WiCSC+ advisory board.

Over eight CSBBCS annual meetings (there was no meeting in 2020), support from CSBBCS alongside a session slot at the annual CSBBCS meetings enabled three related streams of deliverables (1) awards and recognitions, (2) conference programming, and (3) lasting content and resources:

Deliverable Category 1: Awards and Recognitions

  • Student travel awards to support attendance at CSBBCS annual meeting ($500 and 2 students/year)
  • Small research grants for Jr Scientists, to enable early career researchers to start a new collaboration with Sr Scientists across Canada and Internationally ($1500 and 1-2 grants/year)
  • Honoraria for WiCSC+ mentorship award winners ($1000 and 1 recipient/year)

Deliverable Category 2: Conference Programming

Pre-conference and speed-mentoring sessions have been hosted for each in-person meeting. Summaries of the sessions, slides and recordings (where relevant) can be found on the WiCSC+ homepage at WiCSC+ – Women in Cognitive Science Canada +

  • Honoraria for WiCSC+ panelists who shared knowledge and experience with the CSBBCS membership on a variety of topics (e.g., non-traditional career paths in academia; preparation of successful EDI statements on grant applications; inclusive practices for people living with disabilities, etc.) (variable modest amounts per year). 
  • Food and beverages at CSBBCS meetings to facilitate the yearly WiCSC+ speed mentoring program, and professional networking generally (variable modest amounts per year).

Deliverable Category 3: Lasting Content and Resources

In addition to the above yearly CSBBCS-supported initiatives, WiCSC+ promoted diversity and inclusion in numerous other ways since 2016, including but not limited to:

  • Establishing an Advisory Board comprised of women and men CSBBCS members across Canada, and across larger and moderately sized institutions 
  • Operating active social media channels, initially on FaceBook and Twitter but now shifted to BlueSky, which promote its activities and that of its members, alongside CSBBCS’ activities and members
  • Presenting WiCSC+ at the 2017 International Gender Summit alongside trainees
  • Working in concert with the U.S.-based Women in Cognitive Science and the Spark Society to host an allyship event on diversity and inclusion at the 2020 Cognitive Science Society Meeting. Making those resources available to all CSBBCS members on its website.
  • Publishing a peer-reviewed article in 2018 on analysis of NSERC funding for women vs. men cognitive scientists across the professional lifespan - https://doi.org/10.1037/cep0000150 - and engaging with NSERC on strategies to mitigate barriers for women applicants
  • Submitting a follow-up article (now under review) that tracks changes in NSERC funding for women vs. men cognitive scientists, particularly since the 2018 analysis and up to the 2023/2024 fiscal year
  • Surveying the WiCSC+ and CSBBCS membership about its ideas for future WiCSC+ activities and concerns, and embracing those ideas by expanding WiCSC+’s mission to include other federally designated groups in Canada
  • Since 2022, inspiring, facilitating, and overseeing founding of the student-led WiCSC+ Trainee Board, composed of 19 cognitive science trainees across Canada, and overseen by current WiCSC+ co-director, Erin Maloney (U. Ottawa), whose volunteer work in the past 2 years has been remarkable (detailed at their website, https://wicsc.ca/trainee-board/).

By offering mentorship, travel awards, research grants, and accessible bilingual resources, WiCSC+ helps to equip CSBBCS trainees and early career researchers with the tools and support needed to thrive in the field. Our focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion not only addresses systemic barriers but also builds a more representative and innovative cognitive science community. The enduring impact of WiCSC+—from the professional development of individual researchers to the cultivation of a nationwide network of support—is unparalleled. Continued funding is crucial to ensure the sustainability of these initiatives, allowing WiCSC+ to further its mission of empowering the next generation of cognitive scientists while driving meaningful, long-term change within the discipline.

WiCS-C 2021 EDI Session

In case you missed it, here is a recording of the WiCS-C 2021 session on writing effective EDI statements:

WiCS-C Information

For up-to- date information about our activities, meetings, and resources, we urge you to:


WiCS-Canada Co-Founders:
Penny Pexman, Department of Psychology, University of Calgary
Debra Titone, Department of Psychology, McGill University

WiCSC Advisory Board:
Morgan D. Barense, University of Toronto
Joël D. Dickinson, Laurentian University
Myra Fernandes, University of Waterloo
Carla L. Hudson Kam, University of British Columbia
Marc F. Joanisse, University of Western Ontario
Jo-Anne LeFevre, Carleton University
Erin A. Maloney, University of Ottawa
Chris Oriet, University of Regina
Natalie A. Phillips, Concordia University
Natasha Rajah, McGill University
Kim P. Roberts, Wilfrid Laurier University
Signy Sheldon, McGill University
Aimée M. Surprenant, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Jennifer E. Sutton, Brescia University College
Natasha Tokowicz, University of Pittsburgh

WiCSC Social Media Team:
Ismael Gol, Memorial University
Ethan Kutlu (Facebook facilitator), University of Florida
Fareeha Rana, McMaster University
Fatou Sarr, University of Ottawa
Naomi Vingron, McGill University