Created in 2002, the Elsevier Foundation is a knowledge-centered corporate foundation which makes grants and contributions throughout the world and supports the broader scientific, technical and medical communities we serve, as well as the many local communities where our employees live and work.

Science and society benefit when talented individuals from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences can develop successful careers in science, health and technology. The challenge of managing family responsibilities has been identified as a particular obstacle to recruiting, retaining and developing new academics and researchers, particularly women.

The Elsevier Foundation New Scholars Program gives particular focus to the efforts of the academic and research community to address the fundamental challenge of balancing childcare and family responsibilities with the demanding academic careers in science, health and technology.

TechValleyConnect is fortunate enough to have attracted the attention of the Elsevier Foundation who is providing the primary funding for our pilot program. The foundation is clear in it’s mission to support efforts of the academic and research community to address the fundamental challenge of balancing childcare and family responsibilities with demanding careers in science and technology.

In 2007, Dr. Cheryl Geisler of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York — a partner institution for the RAMP-Up National Science Foundation grant designed to assist women faculty advance through their professional ranks — applied to the Elsevier Foundation for a grant to fund a pilot program addressing relocation issues PhDs face. Specifically focused on the two-career problem — or what was once called the “trailing spouse” challenge — Dr. Geisler thought a collaboration of PhD-hiring organizations might do better in forming a network to support accompanying partners of PhDs hired in the region. The proposal was enthusiastically accepted, and Elsevier funded the beginning of what has become a comprehensive, well thought out initiative.

Dr. Geisler then appointed Angela McNerney to implement the pilot program, and within the first year there were eleven organizations, both academic and corporate, who had signed on to commit to the program. As program director, McNerney sought out top ranking officials in each organization to serve as a point person — a designated individual who would coordinate with division managers or department heads to set up “informational interviews” for spouses/partners in order to start building their professional ties to the area.