The Department of Science and Technology (DST) this week called for nominations for the 2015 South African Women in Science Awards, which would focus on ‘Science for a sustainable future’.

The theme would look at the contributions made by women researchers towards the achievement of some of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), which ended this year, including the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education; reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; combatting HIV/Aids, malaria and other diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability and developing global partnerships for the development of women.

The awards, which would be presented on August 13, as part of the department's celebration of National Women's Month, included four categories – Distinguished Women Researcher, Distinguished Young Women Researcher, Fellowships and TATA Africa Scholarships for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology.

For the fellowship, the awards would be made to ten women who were currently involved in full-time study or research leading to masters or doctoral degrees in any field unless where specified accordingly. 

Women scientists or researchers who had doctoral degrees, at least five years' postdoctoral experience and who were actively involved in research in their respective fields, were requested to enter for the Distinguished Women Researcher award, but any person who knew the nominee and her work well could also make a nomination.

Candidates would be judged on their research publication record, their international stature (as evidenced by their presentation of keynote addresses or papers at international conferences), their experience in supervising and mentoring postgraduate students and researchers, national and/or international acclaim of their research, the contribution of their research to social or economic development, particularly on the MDGs, and exploitability of their research outputs.

The overall winner would receive R75 000.