The barriers women face when negotiating for jobs and career advancement are well known: Women who ask for more money or better opportunities can face a backlash for violating traditional gender norms. They may get what they want, but they risk being disliked by their coworkers.

Unfortunately, a new study finds that women, as well as racial minorities, are likely to face discrimination even before they have a chance to negotiate. Katherine L. Milkman of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Modupe Akinola of Columbia Business School, and Dolly Chugh of New York University’s Stern School of Business sent email messages to 6,500 professors at top U.S. universities in a range of disciplines. The messages were purported to be from potential doctoral students who were writing to inquire about possible research opportunities with the professors. The (fictional) students asked to meet with the professor for 10 minutes during an upcoming visit to campus.