Nominations Open for 2015 Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early-Career Women Scientists in the Developing World

AMSTERDAM, May 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Research excellence nominations for women mathematicians and physicists accepted through October 17, 2014 

The nomination period opened today for the Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early-Career Women Scientists, which annually recognize excellence in research achieved by scientists in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. This year's five regional awards will be selected in the fields of physics and mathematics. Nominations will be accepted from May 15 through October 17, 2014.

The awards are sponsored and organized by The Elsevier Foundation, the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) and The World Academy of Sciences for the advancement of science in developing countries (TWAS). The competition will be judged by a distinguished panel of international physicists and mathematicians, including members of TWAS and OWSD, and chaired by OWSD; and one winner from each region will be announced in mid-February 2015 at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

The five winners will each receive a cash prize of US$5,000, plus all-expenses paid attendance at the AAAS meeting in San Jose, California; as well as one year access to Elsevier's ScienceDirect and Scopus. In addition, this year the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), based in Trieste, Italy, is offering each of the winners free attendance and accommodation at one of ICTP's renowned workshops or conferences.

The Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early-Career Women Scientists rotate annually between disciplines (physics/math, medical/life sciences, and chemistry) to ensure optimal exposure and networking synergies. Previous winners say the awards have had a powerful effect, enhancing the visibility of their past work and creating new opportunities for the future.

"Receiving this award has made me honored and touched that my hard work in science has not gone unnoticed and I encourage other woman scientists to do their best in all that they do," said Dr. Nilufar Mamadalieva from the Institute of Plant Substances Chemistry in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, one of the 2014 winners in chemistry.

Nominations for the 2015 awards will be accepted for early-career women scientists from the 81 scientifically lagging countries as defined by TWAS who are working in the field of physics and mathematics and have received their PhD within the past ten years.

"This award will provide women physicists and mathematicians with much-needed recognition for delivering high-impact research both regionally and internationally," said Fang Xin, OWSD President, China. "All of our winners have served as an inspiration to their peers and I'm sure that the five 2015 winners will build on this important tradition."

Romain Murenzi, TWAS Executive Director said, "Past winners of the Elsevier Foundation Awards represent some of the most promising young researchers in the world. The award recognizes both their strong work and their potential. It also reflects that these women are leaders in their regions who may some day make valuable contributions in education, business and government policy."

"Women physicists and mathematicians in developing countries often face particular career challenges and dynamics as they pursue their careers and research. Working closely with TWAS, OWSD - and this year with ICTP as well - to celebrate these talented women is a great opportunity and honor," said David Ruth, Executive Director of the Elsevier Foundation.

Notes for editors 

Award Nomination forms can be downloaded from the OWSD website and submitted from May 15 through October 17, 2014 to info@owsd.net

About TWAS
The World Academy of Sciences works to advance innovation and sustainable prosperity in the developing world through support for research, education, policy and diplomacy. TWAS was founded in 1983 by a distinguished group of scientists under the leadership of Abdus Salam, the Pakistani physicist and Nobel laureate. They believed that developing nations, by building strength in science and engineering, could build the knowledge and skill to address such challenges as hunger, disease and poverty. Today, TWAS has some 1,100 elected Fellows from 90 countries; 15 of them are Nobel laureates. The Academy is financially supported by the Italian government and other partners, and administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

About OWSD
The Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) is an international organization affiliated with TWAS. Headed by eminent women scientists from the South, OWSD has more than 4,000 members. The central role is to promote women's access to science and technology, enhancing their greater involvement in decision-making processes for the development of their countries and in the international scientific community. Created in 1989, OWSD's overall goal is to work towards bridging the gender gap in science and technology. OWSD uses its forum to promote leadership, exchanges and networking for women scientists as well as for discussions to assist in the development of national capabilities to evolve, explore and improve strategies for increasing female participation in science.

About the Elsevier Foundation

The Elsevier Foundation provides grants to institutions around the world, with a focus on support for the world's libraries and for scholars in the early stages of their careers. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than 80 grants worth millions of dollars to non-profit organizations working in these fields. Through gift-matching, the Foundation also supports the efforts of Elsevier employees to play a positive role in their local and global communities. The Elsevier Foundation is funded by Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services.

About Elsevier 

Elsevier is a world-leading provider of information solutions that enhance the performance of science, health, and technology professionals, empowering them to make better decisions, deliver better care, and sometimes make groundbreaking discoveries that advance the boundaries of knowledge and human progress. Elsevier provides web-based, digital solutions - among them ScienceDirect, Scopus, Elsevier Research Intelligence and ClinicalKey - and publishes nearly 2,200 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and over 25,000 book titles, including a number of iconic reference works.

The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world-leading provider of professional information solutions in the Science, Medical, Legal and Risk and Business sectors, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

Media contacts
TWAS/OWSD
Edward Lempinen
Public Information Officer
+39-040-2240-512
elempinen@twas.org 

Elsevier Foundation
Ylann Schemm
Program Director
+31-6-23982359
newsroom@elsevier.com