Applications are now being accepted for the OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early Career Women Scientists in Developing Countries. To find out more about this opportunity and to apply, interested candidates are urged to click here.
About OWSD Elsevier Foundation Awards
Opportunity Details
The awards programme grew out of a one-time award given in 2011 by OWSD, the Elsevier Foundation and TWAS, the World Academy of Sciences, which was given to 11 early career women from developing countries working in STEM subjects. In 2013, the awards programme was launched, with the number of awards reduced to 5 per year on a three-year rotation of award categories. The eligible scientific disciplines for each year were organized into general fields: Biological sciences; Engineering, innovation & technology; and Physical sciences.
After ten years of celebrating women in science, in 2021 we decided to re-focus the awards to respond to the call for action set forth by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The number of awards continue to be 5 per year (one for each of the 4 OWSD regions plus an additional award for an outstanding candidate from any of these regions.) for a period of five years (2022 – 2026).
Benefits of OWSD Elsevier Foundation Awards
- Cash prize of USD 5,000.
- All-expenses-paid trip to attend a relevant international conference.
- Recognition and support for significant contributions to the area of inclusive health
- Opportunity to enhance career prospects and gain international exposure
OWSD Elsevier Foundation Awards Requirements
- The applicant must be a woman who has received her PhD in a scientific discipline within the previous ten years (date of PhD certificate must be no earlier than 10 years prior to application deadline) and whose current scientific research is related to the area of sustainable, affordable, and reliable energy.
- Given that from 2022-2026 the awards will respond to the call for action set forth by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), applicants must demonstrate how their research contributes to advancing knowledge in the area of sustainable, affordable, and reliable energy and to achieving the SDG7 (Affordable and clean energy).
- The application can include, but is not limited to, references to the SDG7 target areas, e.g. ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services; increasing substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix; doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency; enhancing international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology; promoting investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology; and expanding infrastructure and upgrading technology to supply modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States, and land-locked developing countries.
- The OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards are offered to women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Applications from women in Social sciences, Humanities, Arts or other are NOT eligible.
Eligible STEM fields:
- Agricultural Sciences
- Astronomy, Space and Earth Sciences
- Biological Systems and Organisms
- Chemical Sciences
- Computing and Information Technology
- Engineering Sciences
- Mathematical Sciences
- Medical and Health Sciences (including Neurosciences)
- Physics
- Structural, Cell and Molecular Biology
Any combination of these fields (i.e. interdisciplinarity) is acceptable.
Africa: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Dem. Rep. Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Arab Region: Djibouti, Palestine (West Bank & Gaza Strip), Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Yemen.
Asia & Pacific: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Kiribati, Lao People's Dem. Rep., Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.
Latin America & Caribbean: Bolivia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay.
Please note:
- The 5 years of residence in the eligible country do not have to be consecutive.
- Applicants can be citizens of any country, provided that they fulfil the above residence requirement.
- Citizens of an eligible country who have not been able to live or work in that country due to active conflict may still exceptionally apply for the award.
- Although anyone having lived and worked at least 5 of the last 15 years in an eligible country may be considered, this award is intended to recognize the achievements of women scientists who have had to overcome challenging circumstances in developing countries. Therefore, candidates currently living and working in these countries or with longer presence in these countries may be given priority.
Preference will be given to those candidates not currently (or within the last three years) in receipt of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) or OWSD awards, fellowships or grants. Please note that OWSD Early Career Fellows and Alumnae are not eligible for these Awards.
If in doubt about your eligibility, please contact [email protected].
Application Date and Process
- Prepare the required documents.
- Ensure that any supporting documents in non-English languages have an informal English translation.
- Complete the online application form in English via the TWAS Online Form.
- Submit all required documents and information online by the application deadline.
- For any questions or doubts about eligibility, contact [email protected].
Application Deadline
31 August, 2025
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