Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World

Last updated
Logo Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD).png
Logo

The Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) is an international organisation that provides research training, career development and networking opportunities for women scientists throughout the developing world at different stages in their career. It was founded in 1987 and was officially launched in 1993. The organisation was formerly known as the Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS). It is a program unit of UNESCO and based at the offices of The World Academy of Sciences in Trieste, Italy. [1]

Contents

The organisation aims to unite eminent scientists from the developing and developed world with an objective of supporting their efforts in the development process. It also aims at promoting the representation of its members in the sphere of scientific and technological leadership. It does so through different programs like memberships, fellowships, and awards. [2]

Objectives

Scientific research and advancement is important to generate knowledge and products aimed at solving problems faced by society. The generation of such knowledge is especially important in the developing countries which face numerable problems like poverty, food scarcity, disease, climate change, and many more. Scientific innovation is not only important to find solutions to these problems but can also contribute to local economies. The inclusion of women in this innovation process provides a unique perspective on the local problems. In many developing countries, women have daily needs and routines oriented to their roles as main care-givers to the elderly and children. Women make up the majority of agricultural workers too, growing and harvesting food for their families, as well as collecting fresh water for drinking. If women are included as both participants in scientific research and as the beneficiaries of scientific research, the impact on children, on the elderly and on local communities will be direct and highly effective. [1]

OWSD aims to pursue the following objectives:

a. Increase the participation of women in developing countries in scientific and technological research, teaching and leadership;

b. Promote the recognition of the scientific and technological achievements of women scientists and technologists in developing countries;

c. Promote collaboration and communication among women scientists and technologists in developing countries and with the international scientific community as a whole;

d. Increase access of women in developing countries to the socio-economic benefits of science and technology;

e. Promote the participation of women scientists and technologists in the sustainable and economic development of their country; and

f. Increase understanding of the role of science and technology in supporting women's development activities. [3]

History

The idea for OWSD was first raised at a conference on The Role of Women in the Development of Science and Technology in the Third World in 1988, organized by the World Academy of Sciences, where more than 200 leading women scientists from 63 developing countries participated. A study group consisting of top women scientists and experts was formed to explore the possibility of creating an organization that would champion the experience, needs and skills of women scientists in the developing world. At a further meeting in Trieste in 1989, the Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS) was established and a constitution adopted. TWOWS was officially launched four years later in 1993, at the First General Assembly in Cairo, Egypt. [4]

Name change

On 29 June 2010, at the organisation's Fourth General Assembly in Beijing, China members voted to adopt the name Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD).

Funding

OWSD is funded by external donors.

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has supported OWSD financially since 1998 and provides full funding for the postgraduate fellowship programme.

Since 2010, the Elsevier Foundation has provided funding for the OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early Career Women Scientists, given to five women scientists from the developing world each year.

In 2017, an agreement was signed with Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) to fully fund a new OWSD fellowship for Early Career Women Scientists.

National chapters

OWSD has national chapters in 30 countries. National chapters organize regional conferences, seminars and workshops, lead national and regional initiatives for women in science, and provide OWSD members with networking opportunities.

Programmes

PhD fellowships

OWSD PhD fellowships are offered to women from selected science and technology-lagging countries in the developing world to undertake PhD research in the natural sciences, including engineering and information technology, at host institutes in another developing country. [5]

These scholarships cover all costs related to undertaking research in a host country that are not covered by the host institute, including travel, visa and health costs, tuition and bench fees as well as a monthly stipend for the awardees' board, accommodation and living expenses. The fellowship also includes additional funding for each PhD fellow to travel to international workshops and conferences of relevance.

The fellowship is offered as either a full-time (up to four years) or sandwich option, in which the fellow is a registered PhD student in her home country and undertakes a maximum of 3 research visits at the host institute for minimum 6 up to 20 months.

More than 250 women scientists have graduated from the fellowship programme with PhDs since 1998.

The programme is funded by Sida, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

Early career fellowships

The OWSD Early Career fellowship is a prestigious award of up to US$50,000 offered to women who have completed their PhDs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects and are employed at an academic or scientific research institute in selected science and technology-lagging countries in the developing world. Early career fellows are supported to continue their research at an international level while based at their home institutes and to build up research groups that will attract international visitors. [6]

The Early Career fellowship programme is funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada.

The first cohort of Early Career fellows was awarded in 2018.

OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early Career Women Scientists

The OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards are an annual prize given to reward and encourage women scientists working and living in developing countries who are in the early stages of their careers. Initially launched in 2010, the Awards are presented to five scientists each year, one from each of the four OWSD regions plus an additional exceptional winner from any region. The eligible scientific disciplines for the Awards rotate between the biological sciences, physical sciences and engineering. Each winner receives US$5,000 and presents her research during a special awards ceremony at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting. [7]

Awardees must have made a demonstrable impact on the research environment both at a regional and international level.

Membership

OWSD has more than 8,000 members from 137 countries.  Over 90% of OWSD members are women living and working in developing countries who have master's or doctorate degrees in scientific subjects. [2]  

Leadership

OWSD is governed by an executive board, composed of a president, four regional vice presidents and four regional members. All the members of the executive board are elected by the members of the general assembly who vote out of the shortlist of candidates which were selected through an online voting system. All members are invited to attend the general assembly and have the right to participate in its discussions but only full members have the right to vote. [3]

List of presidents

Impact

Since its inception in 1987 and launch in 1993, OWSD has grown manifolds in both scope and impact. The organisation celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2018 and released its first Annual Report. The report highlighted the membership of over 7,100 scientists from more than 150 countries. It also detailed the work of the organization through its headquarters in Italy and the 20 other national chapters in developing countries across the globe. [8]

OWSD's flagship programme has been the South-to-South PhD fellowship programme, which aims at supporting the mobility of women scientists. The fellowship provides support to women from scientifically- and technologically-lagging countries (STLCs) to undertake PhD research at a host institution of recognized research excellence in another developing country. In the past ten years, a total of 314 fellowships have been awarded. By 2018, 251 fellows had successfully graduated and a further 193 were enrolled and completing their studies. [5] [8]

In 2018, OWSD launched an Early-Career fellowship program. This fellowship is funded by the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and greatly increases the impact of the organization. It expands the scope of OWSD's programmes by providing fellowships to scientists in the early stages of their career. The first cohort included 19 candidates from 11 different countries. [8] [6]

Related Research Articles

Science Foundation Ireland Statutory research funding body

Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) is the statutory body in the Republic of Ireland with responsibility for funding oriented basic and applied research in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with a strategic focus. The agency was established in 2003 under the Industrial Development Act 2003 and is run by a board appointed by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. SFI is an agency of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

International Centre for Theoretical Physics International research institute for physical and mathematical sciences

The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) is an international research institute for physical and mathematical sciences that operates under a tripartite agreement between the Italian Government, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It is located near the Miramare Park, about 10 kilometres from the city of Trieste, Italy. The centre was founded in 1964 by Pakistani Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam.

European University Institute teaching and research institute

The European University Institute (EUI) is an international postgraduate and post-doctoral teaching and research institute established by European Union member states to contribute to cultural and scientific development in the social sciences, in a European perspective. EUI is designated as an international organisation. It is located in the hills above Florence in Fiesole, Italy. In 2021, EUI's School of Transnational Governance, with its flagship graduate and executive programmes, moved to the Casino Mediceo di San Marco, which is a late-Renaissance or Mannerist style palace in the historic centre of Florence.

Islamic World Academy of Sciences

The Islamic World Academy of Sciences (IAS) is a non-profit organisation of scientists and technologists that works for the promotion of science and technology in the Islamic world. It was founded in 1986.

Central Scientific Instruments Organisation is a Chandigarh, India-based national laboratory dedicated to research, design and development of scientific and industrial instruments. It is one of the constituent laboratories of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), an Indian industrial research and development organisation situated at Chandigarth's Sector 30C.

The International Human Frontier Science Program Organization (HFSPO) is a non-profit organization, based in Strasbourg, France, that funds basic research in life sciences. The organization implements the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) and is supported by 14 countries and the European Commission. Shigekazu Nagata is the HFSPO President and Chair of the Board of Trustees since 2018.

Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South

The Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) is an inter-governmental organization, having a membership of 25 developing countries and one non-state member from three continents, Latin America, Africa and Asia. Twenty two S&T/R&D institutions of developing countries are affiliated with COMSATS as its Network of International S&T Centers of Excellence for Sustainable Development in the South. The organization aims at sustainable socio-economic uplift of the developing countries through appropriate applications of science and technology using the approach of South-South cooperation.

Rajeev Kumar Varshney

Rajeev Kumar Varshney is an agricultural scientist, specializing in genomics, genetics, molecular breeding and capacity building in developing countries. Varsheny is currently the Research Program Director- Genetic Gains that includes several units viz. Genomics & Trait Discovery, Forward Breeding, Pre-Breeding, Cell, Molecular Biology & Genetic Engineering, Seed Systems, Biotechnology- ESA, Sequencing and Informatics Services Unit, and Genebank ; and Director, Center of Excellence in Genomics & Systems Biology at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), a global agricultural research institute. He holds Adjunct/Honorary/Visiting Professor positions at 10 academic institutions in Australia, China, Ghana, Hong Kong and India, including Murdoch University, The University of Western Australia, University of Queensland, West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement, University of Hyderabad, Chaudhary Charan Singh University and Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University.

CSTEP is a Bengaluru (India) based technology-policy think tank. Its research sectors include Climate, Environment and Sustainability; Energy & Power; Artificial Intelligence & Digital Lab; Materials & Strategic Studies; and Computational Tools. CSTEP is also recognised as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (SIRO) by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. Dr Jai Asundi is the Executive Director of CSTEP.

Nashwa Abo Alhassan Eassa is a nano-particle physicist from Sudan. She is an assistant professor of physics at Al-Neelain University in Khartoum.

Vishweshwaraiah Prakash is an Indian structural biologist, food technologist and a former director-general designate of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). He is a former director of the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore and was involved with the International Union of Food Science and Technology as the chairman of its International Academy during 2008-10. He received the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, the highest Indian award in the science and technology category in 1996. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri in 2004,

Joseph H. Hulse (1923–2013) was a Canadian biochemist, food technologist, writer, and the president of the International Union of Food Science and Technology. He chaired the Committee of the Canadian chapter of the Freedom From Hunger, presided over the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology and was the assistant director of nutrition at the Food and Agriculture Organization, besides serving as the vice president of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). He was the author of several texts and monographs on nutrition and allied sciences, including a 991-page treatise, Sorghum and the Millets: Their Composition and Nutritive Value. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2008, for his contributions to Science and for his humanitarian activities in India.

Rabia Salihu Sa'id is a Nigerian physicist, professor of atmospheric and space-weather physics, and a researcher at Bayero University Kano. She conducts research in atmospheric and space weather physics, particle physics, and electronics. Sa'id is an advocate and mentor for young women in science with the Visiola Foundation and Peace Corps; she co-founded Nigeria's Association of Women Physicists. She is an advocate and mentor of Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and is a facilitator for the British Council's Active Citizens' Programme.

Lubna Hamid Tawfiq Tahtamouni is a Jordanian biologist known for her work in developmental biology and cancer research. She is the head of the Department of Biology and Biotechnology at Hashemite University in Zarqa, Jordan. She has won multiple awards for her work on breast cancer, and is known as an advocate for allowing young women in the Arab world to choose a career in science. In 2016, she was named one of BBC's 100 Women.

Science and technology in Armenia describes trends and developments in science, technology and innovation policy and governance in Armenia.

Science and technology in Uzbekistan examines government efforts to develop a national innovation system and the impact of these policies.

Elsevier Foundation Award Annual award for women scientists

The OWSD - Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early-Career Women Scientists in the Developing World is awarded annually to early-career women scientists in selected developing countries in four regions: Latin America and the Caribbean, East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Central and South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Nina Dudnik Social entrepreneur, science diplomacy advocate

Nina Dudnik is a social entrepreneur, science diplomacy advocate, and the Founder and former CEO of Seeding Labs, a US-based nonprofit organization investing in building scientific capacity in the developing world. Dudnik founded the organization in 2003 as a graduate student studying at Harvard University, where she received her PhD in molecular biology.

Priscilla Kolibea Mante Ghanaian neuropharmacologist

Priscilla Kolibea Mante is a Ghanaian neuropharmacologist, a researcher and lecturer from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, currently based at the Kumasi campus. Her research work focuses on alternatives of plant-based therapeutic options to manage drug-resistant epilepsy and the neglected tropical disease neurocysticercosis. In her work, she mostly explores the anticonvulsant activity of the plant alkaloid cryptolepine and its solid-lipid nanoparticles in the management of neurocysticercosis-induced epilepsy. Her goal is to identify a way to help cryptolepine permeate more efficiently into the central nervous system to reduce the risk of convulsion, helping patients to manage their condition as effectively as possible. Aside from her studies of epilepsy, Mante has also worked toward new therapies to alleviate pain, anxiety, and depression.

References

  1. 1 2 "What is OWSD? | OWSD". owsd.net. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  2. 1 2 "Membership". OWSD. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
  3. 1 2 OWSD Constitution (August, 2018)
  4. ↑ "History". OWSD. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
  5. 1 2 "PhD Fellowship". OWSD. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
  6. 1 2 "Early Career Women Scientists (ECWS) Fellowships". OWSD. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
  7. ↑ "Awards". OWSD. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
  8. 1 2 3 OWSD Annual Report (2018)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.