AAUW has a long and distinguished history of advancing educational and professional opportunities for women in the United States and around the globe. One of the world's largest sources of funding for graduate women, AAUW is providing more than $3 million in funding for more than 200 fellowships and grants to outstanding women and nonprofit organizations in the 2009-10 academic year. Due to the longstanding, generous contributions of AAUW members, a broader community of women continues to gain access to educational and economic opportunities - breaking through barriers so that all women have a fair chance.
Fellowship and grant recipients perform research in a wide range of disciplines and work to improve their schools and communities. Their intellect, dedication, imagination, and effort promise to forge new paths in scholarship, improve the quality of life for all, and tackle the educational and social barriers facing women in the United States and around the globe.
In 1885, a group of AAUW members conducted a survey that debunked the popular theory that higher education was bad for women's health. That first study established AAUW's commitment to cutting-edge research relevant to the struggle for gender equity in school and in society.
Today, AAUW conducts groundbreaking research that draws national attention to issues of gender equity in education and the workplace; influences policy-makers as well as educators, parents, and students; and, most importantly, serves as a catalyst for action. Recent reports address topics such as the pay gap between men and women, economic security of older women, sexual harassment on college campuses, and gender equity in science and engineering education.