Tailoring to the needs of women scientists in the UK and Ireland, the L’Oréal UK and Ireland Fellowships For Women In Science are awards offered by L’Oréal UK & Ireland with the support of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, the Irish National Commission for UNESCO, the Royal Institution of Great Britain, and the UK Resource Centre for Women in SET to promote, enhance and encourage the contribution of women pursuing their research/academic careers in the UK or Ireland in the fields of the life or physical sciences.

Four Fellowships are awarded in 2008 to outstanding women scientists in the early stages of their career pursuing postdoctoral research in the UK or Ireland in the life or physical sciences.

The Fellowships, each worth £15,000 (equivalent € for candidates in Ireland), are tenable at any UK or Irish university / research institute for 12 months of research.

The award can be spent in innovative ways to enable women scientists to pursue and continue their research careers – such as buying equipment, paying for childcare or funding travel costs to an overseas conference. 

The judging panel for 2008 is chaired by Baroness Greenfield CBE

ELIGIBILITY: SUMMARY

• Candidates must be female postdoctoral researchers who have already been awarded their PhD.

• Candidates must have no more than 8 years active full-time postdoctoral experience (discounting career breaks, but including teaching experience and/or time spent in industry).

• Candidates must be undertaking research in the life or physical sciences.

• Candidates must be conducting their research at a UK or Irish university or research institute.

• Candidates must be a citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA), or a Swiss citizen, or have permanent residence status in the UK or Ireland; and must be residing in the UK or Ireland at the time of application.

• N.B. Candidates returning to scientific research after a career break are eligible to apply.

The call for applications for the 2008 fellowship cycle is now open.

Closing date: 2 April 2008.

For more information & applications forms go to: http://www.unesco.org.uk/FWIS_National.htm