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UNESCO and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea are launching for the first time a fellowship programme entirely dedicated to young African women scientists. It is designed to create concrete opportunities for young women to become actively involved in various life science disciplines in the African continent.

The Young African Women Scientists Programme, established in 2024 by UNESCO's Executive Board and funded by the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, aims to promote and support two exceptional young African women in the life sciences. The program seeks to encourage their active participation in their countries' scientific and technological development. Each year, two young women will be awarded a grant of $25,000 each, with a total of $50,000, to advance their research and foster a promising scientific career.

Globally, women make up only 33% of researchers¹. The latest figures from the Institute for Statistics show that only 32% of researchers in Sub-Saharan Africa are women². These disparities, whether regional or gender-related, can also be explained by the lack of resources allocated to scientific research, particularly in Africa, where spending on scientific research represents only 1.01% of world spending in 2015 and 3.5% of world spending on publications in 2018³. These gaps have a direct impact on scientific research, limiting women's and girls' access to equitable opportunities to engage in scientific careers.

In June 2023, UNESCO launched a call for action to:

• Increase opportunities for women scientists to access research grants and other sources of research funding
• Promote a global network and platforms for women scientists to create meaningful professional networking connections worldwide

• Provide scholarships and training to empower talented young women in Africa within the life sciences
• Support research grants and offer professional development to increase creativity and research output
• Equip a new generation of women with mentorship and leadership skills to become leaders in scientific fields
• Encourage women scientists to contribute to sustainable development projects in their home countries
• Facilitate regional and international collaborations through conferences, workshops, and networking opportunities

• Must hold African nationality and conduct research at a recognized laboratory in Africa
• Must be under 45 years of age at the time of application
• Must hold a PhD in the field of life sciences
• Engaged in scientific research within the field of life sciences, focusing on advancing knowledge and contributing to sustainable development

• Significant contributions and innovation in their research
• Notable achievements and advancements in the life sciences
• Production of scientific materials (e.g., publications, patents)
• Recognition at national, regional, or international levels (awards, grants)
• Alignment with UNESCO’s goals for sustainable development in science

Applications must be submitted online in English or French, using this form. Each submission should include:

• A proposal outlining an innovative research idea that can be completed within one year, considering the facilities available to the applicant
• A detailed work plan, including the project's activities, objectives, and expected outcomes, with a timeline showing completion within one year
• A comprehensive budget breakdown for the $25,000 grant, clearly demonstrating how the funds will be allocated to implement the proposed project (e.g., materials, equipment, travel, publication fees, etc.). The Grant disbursement will be as follows:
  1. $23,000 of the grant will be provided in advance at the start of the project
  2. $2,000 will be provided upon submission of a final report at the end of the fellowship period, detailing the project's results and the use of the funds
• A summary of past research, including publications and other supporting documents, with significant publications highlighted
• A detailed CV, including academic qualifications, positions held, research experience, and current work
• One or two recommendation letters from a thesis supervisor or peer in the research field (who is not part of the candidate's immediate environment)

• Medical and health sciences
• Neuroscience
• Molecular, cellular and structural biology
• Biological systems and organisms
• Environmental and ecological sciences
• Agricultural sciences
• Astronomy, space and Earth sciences
• Physical sciences
• Chemical sciences
• Bioinformatics
• Computational biology
• Biomedical engineering
• Mathematical sciences (only where applicable to life sciences research)

The nominations can be submitted by the following entities:

• Governments of African , in consultation with their National Commissions

No self-nomination shall be considered.
Incomplete applications will be rejected.

Secretariat of the UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences
Natural Sciences Sector
UNESCO
7, place de Fontenoy,
75352 Paris 07 SP
France
E-mail: lifesciencesprize@unesco.org

(1) UNESCO Science Report 2021
(2) UNESCO call to action
(3) UNESCO Science Report 2021