New Canada-Japan award promotes women in science, engineering and technology

Ottawa, ON – The Royal Society of Canada and the Science Council of Japan have jointly announced the launch of a new initiative to promote the contribution of women in science, engineering and technology, beginning in 2005.

The new Canada-Japan Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (WISET) Exchange Lectureship program is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT).

The program is intended to represent a new era in national and international co-operation, with the organizers hoping to bring more stakeholders into the network as the program matures. After three years, the program will be reviewed to assess the effectiveness of the exchange program and to determine if it will continue.

The program is open to outstanding researchers from either country who will be invited to present lectures to a range of audiences highlighting the role of women in research in the natural, applied and health/medical sciences. The exchange lectureships are offered in any field of the natural sciences and engineering, health and medicine, and must aim to raise awareness of the valuable contribution of women in these areas.

In addition to presenting general lectures at one or more overseas host institutions and visiting a local school to interact with youth and to raise the profile of women in science, successful applicants will have the opportunity to network with counterparts in host laboratories – in particular young women scientists.

In 2005, up to four individuals will be invited to participate on the basis of competitive applications.