A new study from the University of Massachusetts Amherst finds that women in academic entrepreneurship are more motivated by social impact than by commercial success. This difference may help explain why fewer women enter STEM-related business ventures.

The research shows that women scientists are more interested in entrepreneurship when it tackles societal challenges. Men, by contrast, show equal interest in both social and commercial ventures.

“Who participates in science and innovation shapes the kinds of problems we solve,” the researchers note. “If we lack diverse inventors, we may miss solutions to major consumer and societal issues.”

Exploring entrepreneurship

The study examined data from the National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program, which trains faculty and students to bring scientific discoveries to market. Since 2011, only 20% of I-Corps participants have been women, despite efforts to boost diversity.

To explore gender differences, the researchers analyzed survey responses from I-Corps participants between 2018 and 2022, along with 1,267 project summaries from 2011 to 2019. In both cases, women-led projects focused more on social impact than those led by men.

The team also ran an experiment, sending recruitment emails to faculty and students. One version highlighted financial success, while another emphasized social good. Women were far more likely to engage with the second version, while men responded equally to both.

These findings suggest that simple changes—such as framing entrepreneurship as a way to solve social problems—could help close the gender gap in academic commercialization.

More broadly, the study suggests that STEM programs could attract more diverse talent by highlighting the societal benefits of scientific and technological innovation.