Sponsor

Nature

Description

Nature is offering two awards for women in science: 

Nature Research Award for Scientific Achievement recognizes early-career women researchers. The successful applicant will have made an exceptional demonstrable contribution to scientific discovery, and may have faced significant challenges, personal or professional. The applicant will also exhibit the potential for developing and leading an independent research group. Further, applicants should have made efforts to inspire the next generation of scientists through outreach or support the retention of women in science careers.

Nature Research Award for Scientific Outreach is presented for initiatives that support girls or young women to engage with, enjoy and study STEM subjects OR to increase the retention of women in STEM careers. STEM includes natural sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine. These initiatives can be run by an individual or academic, educational, charitable, governmental or corporate entity. In the case of corporate entities, the initiatives should form part of a corporate social responsibility program and not be part of core commercial operations.

Eligibility

Scientific Achievement Category

• Applicants must self-identify as women. This award uses an inclusive definition of ‘woman’ and ‘women.’  Trans women, genderqueer and non-binary people are welcome to apply.
• Applicants must hold a PhD degree or a medical degree, or other type of doctorate by dissertation. A PhD or doctorate by dissertation is a globally recognized postgraduate academic degree awarded by a university or higher education institution to a person who has submitted a thesis or dissertation, based on extensive and original research in their chosen field.
• Applicants must be within 10 years of completing their PhD degree, medical degree or other type of doctorate by dissertation. 
• Applicants must hold a non-tenured position. This includes those who have non-permanent postdoctoral and/or non-permanent tenure-track positions (or equivalents such as proleptic lecturer positions).
• Applications from those working in STEM and applications including an interdisciplinary component are accepted.

Scientific Outreach Category

• Applications from organizations, departments, individuals (of any gender) or project teams are accepted. Please nominate one spokesperson to be the point of contact and represent the winning entry at the award ceremony.
• We are looking for initiatives that have either:
  • encouraged girls or young women to engage with and study natural sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine OR
  • increased retention of women in STEM careers, with a focus on providing tools to support women through their career progression in a STEM discipline.

Entries will have shown exceptional vision, insight and/or imagination and demonstrated that they encourage, support or promote the interests of girls and/or women in STEM. We also welcome applications that include interdisciplinary components. 

Prize

The winners of both Nature Research Awards for Inspiring Women in Science categories will receive:

• A prize of US$50,000
• An invitation to the award ceremony in London, with travel and accommodation expenses paid by the organizer. In the event that it is not possible or advisable to hold such a ceremony, an alternative presentation or acknowledgement will be arranged.
• Coverage on nature.com
• An invitation to present their work or initiative to the scientists at The Estée Lauder Companies
• Mentoring through The Estée Lauder Companies

The shortlisted applicants will: 

• Be profiled on the Nature Award website 
• Have access to an exclusive coaching and networking community

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted through the online application form found on the Nature Research Awards for Inspiring Women in Science web-page. Please also submit a copy of the application and an OR-5 to research.services@uoguelph.ca by the external deadline.

For More Information

For more information please contact awards@nature.com or ailsakay@uoguelph.ca or visit the Nature Research Awards for Inspiring Women in Science web-page.