Amsterdam, February 11, 2022 – Six researchers have been awarded the 2022 OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award for Early-Career Women Scientists in the Developing World for their contributions to research that is helping tackle climate change and advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including: SDG13 (Climate Action) , SDG14 (Life Below Water) and SDG15 (Life on Land) .
The winners’ research explores a wide range of environmental impacts and their potential solutions: from turning waste into man-made soil; transforming plastic pollution into viable products for community trade; harnessing the power of microbes to improve carbon storage and soil quality; and using the right types of plants with roots to help prevent soil erosion and encourage soil ‘plasticity’.
The prize also acknowledges the scientists’ commitment to leadership, mentoring and engagement within their communities, including the use of innovative technologies in their research.
President, Jennifer Thomson, of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) said: “What our 2022 winners are doing is absolutely outstanding. Climate change is the most pressing challenge of our time, and these women are finding innovative and effective ways to address it in their local contexts. We hope this award is the first of many for them.”
This year’s winners are:
Those interested can meet the winners for the first time, as they appear virtually in the upcoming panel, “ Minority and Women in STEMM Awards ,” at the upcoming AAAS Annual Meeting .
First awarded in 2013, the award is given in partnership by the OWSD and Elsevier Foundation . OWSD chairs a panel of distinguished scientists to select the winners, and the Foundation awards a cash prize for each winner of USD $5,000, as well as an all-expenses-paid trip to attend a prominent scientific gathering to provide them with vital networking opportunities.
This year’s award ceremony will take place on March 24, both virtually and in-person as part of the International Conference on Gender Action and Climate Change in Istanbul, Turkey at Istanbul Aydin University (IAU) on March 24, 2022.
Ylann Schemm, Director of the Elsevier Foundation said: “We have reshaped our award this year to respond to the key challenges of our time, such as climate change, and supporting the progress being made around the UN SDGs. We know that a quarter of all women are engaged in agriculture, which makes them more vulnerable to both climate change and resource scarcity. We want to reflect the critical role that women can play in successfully addressing climate shifts.”
Past Award winners have been invited to meet their country’s presidents, and have been celebrated by local, national and international media, while other winners have gone on to receive other prestigious awards and fellowships including L'OREAL-UNESCO’s For Women in Science Fellowships and the British Council Award.
Read more about this year’s OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award on Elsevier Connect .
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Notes for editors
Reference sheets for each award winner, with a more extensive biography and description of their work, are available upon request, please contact the Elsevier Newsroom at newsroom@elsevier.com . For interview requests, journalists can contact Domiziana Francescon, Elsevier Foundation & External Partnerships Manager at d.francescon@elsevier.com .
Short bios of the 2022 winners:
To find out how the OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award helps shape our understanding of the Global South, find out more about 2021’s winners below:
About OWSD
The Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) provides research training, career development and networking opportunities for women scientists throughout the developing world. Headed by eminent women scientists from the South, OWSD has more than 7,000 members and runs various programs, including a PhD fellowship programme with over 330 successful graduates from Least Developed Countries and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as an Early Career fellowship programme providing research grants of up to USD$50,000 in addition to leadership training. OWSD is the first international forum to unite women scientists from the developing world with the objective of strengthening their role in the development process and promoting their representation in scientific and technological leadership. OWSD is affiliated with The World Academy of Science (TWAS), a program unit of UNESCO, and is based in Trieste, Italy, with national chapters throughout the developing world. www.owsd.net
About The Elsevier Foundation
The Elsevier Foundation is a corporate not-for-profit 501(c)(3), funded by Elsevier, a global information analytics business specialized in science and health. Since 2006, the Elsevier Foundation provides over $1.5 million USD a year in grants to knowledge-centered institutions around the world, which address the UN Sustainable Development Goals through tech-enabled innovations in inclusive health and research. The Foundation offers a comprehensive matching gift and volunteering fund to enable employees to work with Foundation partners and support their communities. The Elsevier Foundation is part of Elsevier’s larger corporate responsibility program which centers on our unique contributions to sustainable development in gender, health, climate and reducing inequalities. elsevierfoundation.org
About Elsevier
As a global leader in information and analytics, Elsevier helps researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. We do this by facilitating insights and critical decision-making for customers across the global research and health ecosystems.
In everything we publish, we uphold the highest standards of quality and integrity. We bring that same rigor to our information analytics solutions for researchers, health professionals, institutions and funders.
Elsevier employs 8,100 people worldwide. We have supported the work of our research and health partners for more than 140 years. Growing from our roots in publishing, we offer knowledge and valuable analytics that help our users make breakthroughs and drive societal progress. Digital solutions such as ScienceDirect , Scopus , SciVal , ClinicalKey and Sherpath support strategic research management , R&D performance , clinical decision support, and health education . Researchers and healthcare professionals rely on our 2,500+ digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell ; our 40,000 eBook titles; and our iconic reference works, such as Gray's Anatomy . With the Elsevier Foundation and our external Inclusion & Diversity Advisory Board , we work in partnership with diverse stakeholders to advance inclusion and diversity in science, research and healthcare in developing countries and around the world.
Elsevier is part of RELX , a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.elsevier.com
Media contacts
Erin Johnson
OWSD Communications
ejohnson@owsd.net
Jonathan Davis
Elsevier Communications, Europe
j.davis.1@elsevier.com
newsroom@elsevier.com