Company Announcement - The Department of Science and Technology is calling for nominations for the South African Women in Science Awards. The awards recognise and reward excellence by women scientists and researchers, and to profile them as role models for younger women. The awards will be made to women who are South African citizens or permanent residents.
The theme for the 2015 South African Women in Science Awards is "Science for a sustainable future". With the time frame for the achievement the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ending this year, the theme for the 2015 Women in Science Awards looks at the contribution that has been made by women researchers towards the achievement of some of the MDGs.
The United Nations Development Programme has made enormous progress towards achieving the MDGs. Global poverty continues to decline; more children than ever are attending primary school; child deaths have dropped dramatically; access to safe drinking water has been greatly expanded; and targeted investments in fighting malaria, Aids and tuberculosis have saved millions.
The Distinguished Women and Distinguished Young Women categories will be made to women doing research in the Life Sciences, and the Humanities and Social Sciences that contributes towards achieving the following MDGs:
• Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger.
• Achieving universal primary education.
• Reducing child mortality.
• Improving maternal health.
• Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
• Ensuring environmental sustainability.
• Developing a global partnership for development.
The awards for fellowships and scholarships are not restricted to the MDGs or specific research fields, unless stated otherwise. The 2015 Women in Science Awards will be presented on 13 August 2015, as part of the Department's celebration of National Women's Month. Awards will be made in the following categories:
Awards for Distinguished Women Researchers (MDGs)
• Life Sciences.
• Humanities and Social Sciences.
Awards for Distinguished Young Women Researchers (MDGs)
• Life Sciences.
• Humanities and Social Sciences.
Fellowships
• Master's students: three in any discipline, and two in the field of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS).
• Doctoral students: three in any discipline, and two in IKS.
TATA Africa Scholarships for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology
• Three master's students in disciplines where the participation of women is low.
• Three doctoral students in disciplines where the participation of women is low.
NOTE:
1. Winners may be requested to participate in public awareness initiatives led by the DST.
2. If you are selected as a finalist, you will be asked to submit a short profile and three high-resolution photographs to be used for publicity.
NOMINATION PROCEDURE
Nominations on the attached form should reach the Department of Science and Technology by 22 May 2015. No late entries will be accepted.
Entries should be submitted electronically to wisawards@dst.gov.za.
For more information contact Ms Bessie Mchunu at 012 843 6464 or bessie.mchunu@dst.gov.za.
Nomination forms should clearly indicate the category in which the nomination is being made, and should be accompanied by the documentation specified for each category. To ensure that you have met all the compliance requirements, please complete and submit the attached checklist.