Our award is looking for women scientists who make a difference - and you could be the next winner: registration is now open for the 16th edition of the For Women in Science program in Brazil! Carried out by L’Oréal, in partnership with UNESCO in Brazil and the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, the initiative aims to promote and recognize women’s participation in science, favoring gender balance in the Brazilian scenario.
And for this year, we are proud to announce something new: attentive to the main challenges faced by researchers, we have adjusted our regulations and extended the deadline for completing a doctorate for scientists with one or more children - all to reinforce the importance of including mothers who do science! Are you interested in the proposal? Check out more information below!
“In this very particular moment of pandemic, the For Women in Science program finds an enormous resonance that only reinforces our beliefs in the necessary union of two forces so relevant to our society: science and women. The world needs science. And science needs women! Science is key to solving the enormous challenges of today's world and, to change it, female strength is paramount,” says Patrick Sabatier, Director of Institutional Relations and Communication at L'Oréal Brasil.
What is it and how can I participate in the For Women in Science program? See below!
Every year, in the local edition, 7 young researchers in the areas of Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Chemical Sciences and Mathematics are awarded a grant of R$50 thousand each, to continue their studies. To participate, the candidate must have completed her doctorate on 01/01/2014, and for women with one child, the period extends for another year and, for those who have two or more children, the period additional period will be two years. Furthermore, the scientist must have a stable residence in Brazil, develop research projects in national institutions, among other requirements. To check the entire regulation, just click here.
Adjustment in regulations to expand opportunities for more women scientists and mothers emerged from research carried out by L’Oréal
Did you know that, over these 16 years, the For Women in Science program has recognized and encouraged 103 Brazilian scientists? To date, in addition to rewarding the relevance of their work, the initiative has already distributed more than R$4.3 million in aid grants! In 2020, on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the For Women in Science program in Brazil, L’Oréal took the opportunity to learn more about the reality of these winners and carried out extensive research with the English institute Kite Insights. In it, some of the obstacles that scientists encounter in their careers were revealed and - personal life challenges were highlighted as the main ones. In search:
- 61% reported that professional responsibilities outside of research are the biggest difficulties;
- for 51% of women, the most complicated point was finding a balance between personal and professional life
- for 46% of them, the rest Family responsibilities were the most challenging.
In this sense, the majority of laureates stated that, in the scientific world, having a child will impact a woman's career (86%), while the majority of them (77%) had to make difficult decisions related to their children – as if they would , how many and when would be possible – to accommodate their careers. Thinking about helping them overcome these major challenges, L'Oréal, as well as partners Academia Brasileira de Ciências and UNESCO, took the decision to adjust the program's regulations in Brazil, expanding the opportunity for scientist mothers.
If you want to be part of this team of women scientists who inspire and empower other researchers, this is your moment! Registration for the program is open until May 10th and the winners will be announced in August. Don't miss your chance!
