Answer:
1. Like most women in such industries, her salary is lower than that of her male colleagues.
2. Like most female research grant applicants, she rescieved lower "quality of researcher" ratings.
Explanation:
Gender based discrimination is still very common in the work place, especially in those fields traditionaly considered to be male jobs, such as construction or science. This discrimination can be manifested by giving the female workers a lower salary, which is Maria's case; this is also called gender wage gap. But it can also have other manifestations such as Felicia's case, in which women are less favored when it comes to recieving grants or scholarships.
Gender based discrimination in the work place is an urgemtn matter that should be adressed both by the private industry as well as by the public sector.