Promoting gender equity – Recognition of the maternity leave period and additional qualifying events For PBC Post-Doctoral Scholarships

Pursuant to steps taken to increase the number of women studying for post-doctoral degrees, the PBC has decided in its meeting on March 13, 2019 to recognize the period of maternity leave and additional qualifying events in PBC post-doctoral scholarships as well.
Accordingly, as of 2018/19, everything noted in section 11 of the Rules on the Rights of Students regarding accommodation due to fertility treatments, pregnancy, birth, adoption, or receiving a child for custody or fostering for students for advanced (master’s and doctoral) degrees, will apply, respectively, also to a PBC post-doctoral scholarship student, as follows:

A. The scholarship for a post-doctoral student who was absent due to a qualifying event will not be terminated. The institution is permitted to limit the period of absence during which the scholarship will be paid to 15 weeks.
B. At the end of the scholarship period, the post-doctoral student will be entitled to extend their scholarship for a period equal to the period they were absent, with pay.

Likewise, the PBC recommends that implementation of the issue regarding all post-doctoral scholarships awarded in universities should be examined by the Association of University Heads (VERA).

* Qualifying event – absence for a period of at least 21 days during the semester due to fertility treatments, pregnancy bed rest, birth, adoption, or receiving a child for custody as an intended parent or parent in a foster family, including: (1) Absence in order to travel to a foreign country for international adoption as defined in section 28a of the Adoption of Children Law, 1981; (2) absence for a period immediately following birth, adoption, or receiving a child for custody as an intended parent or parent in a foster family.