Women engineers to receive awards for innovative research in developing countries

Learn more about the Awards and how to participate on our dedicated page

Finding a solution to a longstanding problem requires thinking outside the box. Think of a 3D printer replicating water tanks to store clean water, a new coffee strain that resists a devastating fungus that causes the leaves to rust, or a smartphone app that informs isolated farmers about their tomatoes’ market price.

Of course, solutions have to be co-developed with those most affected, tapping local expertise and the innovation that often springs from knowing the situation intimately.

That’s why it makes sense to support women in developing countries when they take up engineering and technology in secondary school, university and beyond. When women are successful innovators, they often make life-changing, long-term contributions to the lifestyles and economies of the poorest countries. And often, it’s by identifying unseen but critical issues and finding answers that others have not even considered.

The annual OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award for Early-Career Women Scientists in the Developing World celebrates impressive women like these, empowering them to continue their work at an international level — and holding them up as role models for others to follow.

During the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2017 Annual Meeting in Boston February 16 to 20, the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) and the Elsevier Foundation will present five new researchers with these awards. This year’s award is for engineering, innovation and technology — a perfect fit for the AAAS theme: “Serving Society through Science Policy.”

• Read the full article on Elsevier Connect: “Women engineers to receive awards for innovative research in developing countries”, Laura Schmitz, 16 February 2017
• Learn more about the Awards and how to participate on our dedicated page