Many of the roughly 2.6 million graduate students in the U.S. have few legal protections and leave options after the birth or adoption of a child, the Washington Post reports. In many cases, pregnant graduate students work until their due dates and take little time off after giving birth, according to the Post. Students who take too much time off from their academic duties risk "getting kicked off projects, falling out of favor with powerful faculty members or losing their student status," which can be tied to requirements for visa, health insurance coverage and student loan grace periods, the Post reports.

Lisa Maatz of the American Association of University Women said, "Workplace balance is an issue in any workplace, but it can play a huge role in academics." She added, "They judge your research, but they also judge your collegiality."

Although an increasing number of research universities are developing maternity and family leave policies, the extent of such benefits varies between schools and even departments in the same institution. Some of the policies apply only to women or to students who have biological children, but in most cases, the students' professors and advisers have the power to permit more time off and benefits, the Post reports. In addition, NIH and some other granting agencies have begun to issue parental leave requirements.

The Post article also profiled a graduate student couple at the University of Maryland and their efforts to balance academic demands with raising a young child (Johnson, Washington Post, 3/22).

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