09/05/2024

Registration extended for the 'Women in Science' award.

The deadline for applications for the " Women in Science " award, organized by the L'Oréal Group in Brazil in partnership with the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC) and UNESCO in Brazil, has been extended. Female researchers now have until June 10th to complete their applications. The initiative annually awards seven scientists with a grant of R$ 50,000 in the fields of Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Chemical Sciences, and Mathematics. The program aims to recognize and promote the participation of women in science, support promising female scientists in the country, and foster gender balance in the Brazilian scientific landscape.

Data from CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel) shows that 54.2% of students enrolled in graduate programs are female. Despite this, this balance does not extend to academic leadership positions. Research conducted by the Laboratory for Studies on Higher Education (LEES) at Unicamp shows that the number of female professors in universities has grown by only 1% in 18 years. Among the main problems faced in their careers are invisible gender barriers such as lack of funding for studies and motherhood.

Given this scenario, Helena Nader, the first female president of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC), emphasizes that the inclusion of women in science is fundamental to promoting diversity and advancing research, but for this to happen, it is necessary to guarantee safe tools and environments so that they can develop their careers. "There are barriers related to women's social role, such as motherhood and the responsibility of caregiving, which directly impact the professional growth of these scientists and need to be addressed to ensure equity in science," she points out.

To that end, the 'For Women in Science' award has developed a differentiated application process for women with and without children. The program accepts applications from women without children who have completed their doctorate on or after January 1, 2016; for women with one child, the deadline is extended by one year, and for women with two or more children, the additional deadline is two years.

To participate, the scientist must have permanent residency in Brazil, develop research projects at national institutions, among other requirements. The complete regulations and more information about the program are available on the website. The winners will be announced during the second half of this year.

IMPA researchers have already received awards.

A specialist in complex algebraic geometry, IMPA researcher Carolina Araujo was one of the Brazilian scientists awarded the "For Women in Science" prize in 2008. Also a researcher at the institute, Luna Lomonaco was honored in the 2018 edition. Luna specializes in dynamical systems.

In the last edition, Carla Negri Lintzmayer from the Federal University of ABC was the winner in the mathematics category. The researcher investigates problems in graphs, focusing on the study of algorithms and structural and theoretical issues related to them. She seeks to develop algorithms and find solutions to complex problems, understanding the limits of computational power and advancing knowledge in computer science.