Women scientists in the global South often experience isolation, lack of role models and visibility. For the past ten years, the Elsevier Foundation has collaborated with the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) to address these issues through a unique awards and recognition program for early career women scientists from the global South.

Since 2013, more than 60 researchers from over 35 countries have won the awards. Each winner receives a cash prize and is sponsored to attend a prominent scientific conference in their field where they receive their awards at a special ceremony, attend workshops and sessions, meet experts, visit local laboratories and institutions, and attend a celebratory networking event.

In 2021, OWSD and the Elsevier Foundation decided to re-focus the awards to align more closely with the United Nations SDGs. The awards’ annual focus was shifted from specific scientific disciplines to broader SDG topics and research areas welcoming a range of interdisciplinary approaches. The 2023-2026 awards cycle is focused on: 2023: Food Security, agricultural productivity and sustainable food production (SDG2), 2024: Water, sanitation and hygiene (SDG6), 2025: Inclusive Health (SDG3), 2026: Sustainable, affordable and reliable energy (SDG7).