The awards programme grew out of a one-time award given in 2011 by OWSD, the Elsevier Foundation and TWAS, the World Academy of Sciences, which was given to 11 early career women from developing countries working in STEM subjects. In 2013, the current awards programme was launched, with the number of awards reduced to 5 per year (one from each OWSD region plus one additional outstanding candidate) on a three-year rotation of award categories, in order to provide more focus and visibility. The eligible scientific disciplines for each year were organized into general fields:
- Biological sciences: agriculture, biology and medicine – 2019 Awards (selected in 2018)
- Engineering, innovation & technology – 2020 Awards (selected in 2019)
- Physical sciences: chemistry, mathematics and physics – 2021 Awards (selected in 2020)
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