Elsevier Foundation Awards for Female Scientists in the Developing World

Nominations are being accepted for the 2016 Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early-Career Women Scientists in the Developing World.

Deadline: Sept. 1, 2015

Nominations are being accepted for the 2016 Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early-Career Women Scientists in the Developing World.

Nomination Form

ABOUT THE AWARDS

Launched in 2012 by the Elsevier Foundation, TWAS, and OWSD,the Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early Career Women Scientists in the Developing World are designed to recognize and highlight the achievements of women scientists working and living in developing countries who have made significant contributions to the advancement of scientific knowledge. Awardees must have made a demonstrable impact on the research environment at both regional and international levels and overcome great challenges to achieve research excellence.
A total of five Awards are given annually to five young women scientists, one from each of five regions in the developing world: Latin America and the Caribbean; East and South-East Asia and the Pacific; Arab region; Central and South Asia; Sub-Saharan Africa (see complete list of countries below). 
 
The award has an important impact on local research cultures since the awardees are powerful role models for young women in each of the five regions who might be embarking on scientific careers, or, indeed, contemplating whether to remain in an environment that is often hostile to their needs and experience.
Previous winners say the awards have had a powerful effect, enhancing the visibility of their past work and creating new opportunities for the future. Each winner receives a cash prize of USD5,000 and an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting. Lasting 5 days, the event is packed with networking opportunities. The winners receive their award at a special networking ceremony, as well as invitations to mentoring and science communication workshops, a visit to a local laboratory, and a celebratory dinner.
 
The Awards will be in the following disciplines over the next three years:

2016: Biological Sciences: agriculture, biology and medicine
2017: Engineering Sciences: engineering, innovation and technology
2018: Physical Sciences: chemistry, mathematics and physics

A full list of eligible subjects is included in the nomination form.

The deadline for nominations to be received is 1 September 2015. To read more about this year's nomination process click here.

Eligibility 

The nominee must be a female scientist, have received her Ph.D. within the previous 10 years, and have lived and worked in one of the developing countries listed below during the three years immediately prior to the nomination.
Latin America and the Caribbean: Belize, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname. 
East and South-East Asia and the Pacific: Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Kiribati, Korea DPR, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vietnam. 
Arab region: Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen.
Central and South Asia: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan.
Sub-Saharan Africa: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo Dem. Rep., Congo Rep., Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Selection

The competition will be judged by a distinguished panel of international scientists, including members of TWAS, OWSD and ICTP, and chaired by OWSD. The assessment will be based on achievements in the field, with particular attention paid both to the nominees’ contribution to capacity-building in their region, as well as international impact. Winners will be informed of their selection in October/November.

Nominations

Nominations are invited from senior academics, including OWSD members, TWAS Fellows, ICTP visiting scientists and staff, national science academies, national research councils and heads of departments/universities both in developing and developed countries. Please note that self-nominations are not accepted. Nominations must be made on the nomination form and signed by the nominator; they must include the candidate's curriculum vitae and full list of publications; and be accompanied by three reference letters. Please note that the following documents must be submitted: 
This nomination form, signed by the nominator. Please save in the format SURNAME_Initial_NomForm.doc (e.g., SMITH_A_NomForm.doc if the candidate's name is Ann SMITH).
The candidate's curriculum vitae, including fill list of publications (SURNAME_ Initial_CV.doc)
Three reference letters. Referees must send signed letters as attachments via e-mail directly to OWSD; the subject line must contain "Elsevier_Reference_NOMINEE'S SURNAME.” Alternatively, letters should be sent by post in sealed envelopes.
Nominators should send an email message to info@owsd.net with Elsevier Foundation Award Nomination in the subject heading and include the first 2 attachments. All documentation (including referees' letters) must be received by 1 September 2015.

If you opt for a postal submission, print and complete this nomination form, have it signed by the nominator, include the attachments above and post to:

OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards – c/o Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) - ICTP Campus - Strada Costiera 11 - 34151 Trieste, Italy

SELECTION PROCESS

The selection process will be administered by OWSD and TWAS with input from the Elsevier Foundation and based on achievements in the field, with particular attention paid both to the nominees’ contribution to capacity-building in their region, as well as international impact. The winners will be informed of their selection in November/December 2015.

ENQUIRIES

OWSD Secretariat Phone: +39 040 2240321 Fax: +39 040 2240689 Email: info@owsd.net
 

Nomination Form

Click on the link below to download this year's nomination form.
Nominations must reach the OWSD Secretariat by 1 September.
 

Contact

Enquiries and completed nomination forms should be sent to:
 
OWSD Secretariat
OWSD-Elsevier Awards
ICTP campus
Strada Costiera 11
4151 Trieste
Italy
 
Phone: +39 040 2240321  Fax: +39 040 2240689

Collaborating Organizations

TWASwww.twas.org The World Academy of Sciences for the Advancement of Science in Developing Countries is an autonomous international organization founded in Trieste, Italy, in 1983. TWAS, which currently counts more than 1,000 eminent scientists as members, represents the best of science in the developing world. Its principal aim is to promote scientific capacity and excellence for sustainable development in the South. The administration and financial operation of TWAS is undertaken by UNESCO in accordance with an agreement signed by UNESCO and the Italian government for TWAS.

OWSDwww.owsd.net – The Organization for Women Scientists for the Developing World was established in 1989, as the Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS). The Organization aims to increase women’s participation in science and technology in the developing world through academic scholarships and prizes as well as networking activities throughout the South.

The ELSEVIER FOUNDATIONwww.elsevierfoundation.org – provides support for institutions in the global health and science communities working to advance scholarship and improve lives through scientific, technical and medical knowledge. In support of this mission, the Foundation focuses its grant-making on support for the world’s libraries and for scholars, especially women, in the early stages of their careers.


For more details, visit the Women in Science for the Developing World website.

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