According to Springer Nature, on March 6th, Sony Corporation (Sony) partnered with Nature to introduce the "Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature." The inaugural award, which started accepting applications on March 6th, will recognize three outstanding female researchers in the technology field (including science, engineering, and mathematics) at the early to mid-career stages, whose work positively impacts society and the planet.
With women comprising less than one-third of the global technology workforce, Sony and Nature aim to support promising female researchers at critical stages of their research and career development through this award. The list of winners will be announced in early 2025. Each of the three winners will receive a prize of $250,000 to support and accelerate their research-related work.
Hiroaki Kitano, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Sony Corporation, stated, "Creators are not just artists but also include scientists and engineers - those who actively strive to create a brighter future. Achieving breakthroughs and innovations that make a real-world impact, solve problems, and explore new opportunities require the highest level of creativity. Diversity in expertise and experience is essential to realizing this creativity."
"We are very excited about the launch of this program, which is one of Sony's broader efforts to support diversity in the creative and technology fields," said Hiroaki Kitano.
Magdalena Skipper, Editor-in-Chief of Nature, commented, "Women make up only about 30% of those pursuing research as a profession, and in the technology field, they represent less than one-fifth of current technology professionals. Everyone has a responsibility to support women in research and technology. Their contributions bring much-needed diversity and inclusivity, deserving recognition. If we want to see continuous innovation and creativity in the technology industry, we need more women active in research and engineering positions."
The application period for the "Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature" runs from March 6th, 2024, to May 31st, 2024. The submitted applications will be evaluated by an independent and respected panel of technical experts, scientists, and professionals from around the world. This panel includes Magdalena Skipper, Editor-in-Chief of Nature, and Dr. Hiroaki Kitano, Chief Technology Officer of Sony Corporation. Each application will be assessed based on criteria such as ambition, innovation, excellence of ideas, impact, and societal significance.
Information regarding the award:
