L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Levant Regional Young Talents Programme 2024: Empowering Women in Science
Important Dates:
- Application opening date: January 17, 2024
- Application closing date: April 21, 2024
- Attribution of applications and review by jury members: from April 29 to May 26, 2024
- Second review of applications by the jury for semi-finalists: from June 3 to June 15, 2024
- Selection of Young Talents and Announcement: Last week of June 2024
- Awards’ Ceremony: October 2024. An exact date will be announced at a later stage.
To champion the inclusion of women in scientific pursuits, the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Levant regional young talents programme for 2024 has been launched. This initiative is specifically designed to promote and recognize the active participation of young women in science across the Levant region, encompassing Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and the Syrian Arab Republic. The core aim is to identify and reward outstanding young female researchers in both life sciences and physical sciences, encouraging them to forge impactful careers in these fields.
The programme, supported by the Fondation L’Oréal, seeks to honour and empower six talented young Arab women researchers. Three endowments, each amounting to €10,000, will be awarded to those already engaged in research at research laboratories, institutes, or universities in the specified countries. In parallel, three endowments, each amounting to €6,000, will be granted to Arab women pursuing a PhD in the same institutions. These financial contributions are earmarked for covering expenses related to scientific missions, training, specialized courses, conferences, and other research-related activities.
2. Eligibility Criteria:
A. Postdoctoral Researchers: For those in the postdoctoral stage, several criteria must be met:
- Hold a Ph.D. in the specified science fields.
- Possess Iraqi, Jordanian, Lebanese, Palestinian, or Syrian nationality.
- Work in a research laboratory, institute, or university in one of the countries mentioned.
- Be no more than 45 years old, considering the year of birth (born in 1979 and beyond).
B-Ph.D. Students: For Ph.D. students, the following criteria apply:
- Hold a bachelor’s (B.Sc.) and a master’s (M.Sc.) degree in the specified science fields.
- Be a full-time Ph.D. student registered during 2023-2024 in the 2nd year of the Ph.D. program or one year before the thesis defence.
- Possess Iraqi, Jordanian, Lebanese, Palestinian, or Syrian nationality.
- Work in a research laboratory, institute, or university in one of the countries mentioned.
- Be no more than 35 years old, taking into account the year of birth (born in 1989 and beyond).
3. Selection Criteria: The candidates’ selection process is rigorous and involves evaluating multiple facets:
- The candidate’s outstanding academic record, considering the number, quality, and impact of scientific publications, conference presentations, and patents.
- The scientific quality and usefulness of the research project.
- Adherence to international ethical regulations in all research steps.
- The innovative approach includes rationale, relevance, originality, outputs, and applications.
- The ability of the candidate to communicate and promote science to a younger audience and encourage young female researchers.
- The candidate’s career path.
The application is considered complete if it contains a detailed description of the research project and its methodology.
Consideration with Regards to Animal Testing: Special attention is given to projects involving animal testing. Projects with experimental protocols likely to generate animal suffering, even if approved by an ad hoc ethics committee, will be rejected. If animal experimentation is part of the research, it must be detailed, indicating why it cannot be substituted. The necessity of the experiments or the lack of alternatives must be justified, and a commitment by the candidate not to cause animal suffering must be included in the application forms.
4. Applications: Applications are to be submitted exclusively through the online platform www.forwomeninscience.com, ensuring that all required documents are included. For postdoctoral researchers, the application should encompass:
- A comprehensive CV detailing a professional career, previous achievements, scientific production, and activities impacting scientific research development in the country.
- Copies of degrees or recent diplomas.
- A signed declaration attesting to adherence to international ethical norms.
- Letters of recommendation from the research supervisor and/or relevant authorities.
- The proposed use of the grant and budget indications.
For Ph.D. students, the application should include:
- A detailed CV.
- Administrative details about the Ph.D., including the starting date, expected graduation date, supervisor, institution, and scholarship.
- Copies of degrees or recent diplomas.
- A signed declaration attesting to adherence to international ethical norms.
- A letter from the university certifying enrollment in the 2nd year or the year preceding the submission of the doctoral thesis.
- Letters of recommendation from the thesis advisor and/or relevant authorities.
- A letter of intent specifying the targeted activities and a table summarizing the expected budget for each activity.
Incomplete files, or those received after the application deadline, will not be considered.
5. Young Talents Selection: The candidates will undergo a meticulous selection process led by the For Women in Science Levant jury, chaired by Dr. Tamara Elzein. The results will be communicated confidentially to the six young talents after the jury’s deliberations.
6. Young Talents Commitment: Upon selection, Young Talents commit to several obligations:
- To pursue the research work for which the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Levant endowment was obtained. Failure to do so requires an immediate refund of the total amount.
- Within one year of receiving the endowment, submit a status report on the awarded research project to L’Oréal Liban SAL.
- Within one year of receiving the endowment, submit a final financial expenditure statement on the actual endowment expenditure incurred on the research project or thesis.
- Do not use the award to cover laboratory expenses or substitute it for a salary.
- Act as ambassadors of the program for the young generation and participate in events and activities
Application Information:
- Opening Date: 17 January 17, 2024
- Closing Date: 21 April 2024
