For Women in Science promotes four female early-career scientists working in Germany with awards worth 25,000 Euros. In Germany, the partners are the German Commission for UNESCO, L'Oréal Deutschland and the German Humboldt Network.

Applications are open to female early-career scientists working in STEM disciplines. STEM disciplines are broadly understood, also including agricultural sciences, geosciences, informatics, veterinary medicine. “Early-career” is understood as post-docs, habilitation candidates or junior professors in the four+two years following their doctorate (in accordance with relevant German law, WissZeitVG). Female scientists in the final year of their doctorate are also eligible if an employment contract or scholarship commitment for the postdoc phase has already been granted. The application of female scientists with an inter- and transdisciplinary research profile is strongly encouraged. Applicants are free to decide how they use the award money. 

The nationality of the applicants is not relevant. If the residency permit of non-EU citizens is not already obviously implied by the work contract, a valid residence permit in Germany for at least 12 months from the submission of the application needs to be presented in addition.

Application deadline is 30 April 2024.

The award seeks to foster gender equality. Among applicants of equal excellence, preference is given to female scientists with children. 

For Women in Science was jointly founded in 1998 by Fondation L’Oréal and UNESCO to support female scientists and make them more visible. Seven of the international For Women in Science award winners have been honored with the Nobel Prize, most recently Katalin Karikó (Medicine) and Anne L’Huillier (Physics). The program was started in Germany in 2006 and has since awarded 49 female scientists. Since 2022, Bettina Stark-Watzinger, Federal Minister of Education and Research, is patron of the For Women in Science Germany award.

For more information on general conditions of eligibility, selection criteria and the online application platform:

 https://www.forwomeninscience.com/challenge/show/101