L’Oréal\UNESCO for Women in Science Middle East Regional Young Talents Program

This program identifies and rewards talented young female scientists in the field of Life Sciences (such as biology, biochemistry, biophysics, genetics, physiology, neurosciences, biotechnologies, ecology and ethology) as well as Physical Sciences (such as physics, chemistry, petroleum engineering, mathematics, engineering sciences, information sciences, Earth and Universe sciences). The Program honors six talented young Arab women researchers for the quality of their research works and encourages them to pursue a brilliant career in science in Yemen and GCC countries.

Funding Information

• 3 grants amounting to twenty thousand Euros (€20,000 or equivalent in local currency) each will be granted to Arab women researchers working in Research Laboratory, Institute, or University in one of the following countries: UAE, KSA, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Yemen.
• 3 grants amounting to eight thousand Euros (€8,000 or equivalent in local currency) each will be granted to Arab women pursuing a PhD (doctoral degree) in Research Laboratory, Institute, or University in one of the following countries: UAE, KSA, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Yemen.

Costs Covered

• The total amount must be used to cover expenses related to regional or international scientific missions, trainings, specialized courses, conferences, and congresses. It could be used as well to purchase special software, scientific articles/ books and fees of publications in international indexed journals.

Eligibility Criteria

• Postdoctoral Researches:
  • Applicants must meet the following general criteria:
    • Having obtained a PhD in one of the science fields mentioned in paragraph.
    • Being an Arab national.
    • Working in a Research Laboratory, Institute, or University in one of the countries mentioned in paragraph.
    • Candidates must be no more than 45 years old (Born in 1980 and beyond, taking into account the year of birth).
• PhD Students:
  • Applicants must meet the following general criteria:
    • Having obtained a Bachelor (B.Sc.) and a Master (M.Sc.) degrees, or equivalent, in one of the science fields mentioned in paragraph 1.
    • Should be full time student in PhD and having registered during 2024-2025 in the 2nd year of the PhD program, or one year before the thesis defense.
    • Being an Arab national.
    • Working in a Research Laboratory, Institute, or University in one of the countries mentioned in paragraph 1.
    • Candidates must be no more than 35 years old (born in 1990 and beyond, taking into account the year of birth.

Selection Criteria

• The selection criteria of the candidate by the jury are the following:
  • The candidate’s outstanding academic record (including number, quality and impact of the publications, conference presentations, patents…).
  • The scientific quality of the research project.
  • Abide by international ethical regulations in all research steps.
  • The innovative approach (rationale, relevance, originality, outputs, applications, etc.) and the expected outcomes of the research.
  • The ability of the candidate to communicate and promote sciences to a younger audience and to encourage young Arab female researchers.
  • The candidate’s career-path.
  • The application will be considered complete if it contains a detailed description of the research project and its methodology. H. Consideration with regards to animal testing:
    • Any project using experimental protocols likely to generate animal suffering will be rejected, even if it has been approved by an ad hoc ethics committee.
    • If animal experimentation is to be conducted as part of the applicant’s submitted research, it must be described in detail and indicated in what way it cannot be substituted. The necessity of the animal experiments or the lack of alternatives must be justified. Jury members must take a position based on these elements or ask for clarification if necessary.
    • A commitment by the candidate not to cause animal suffering during the project for which she is applying for the award will be included in the application forms and must be officially signed.

Application Requirements

• Postdoctoral Researchers:
  • Copies of the degrees or recent diplomas: PhD certificate, M.Sc. and B.Sc. (or equivalent), etc.
  • The research project description including the institution and/or country of implementation. The proposed use of the grant and some budget indications
• CV Including:
  • Professional career: awarded fellowships, previous post-doctoral trainings, scientific visits, workshops, previous jobs, and various distinctions, etc.
  • Previous achievements of the candidate in her field of research (short list – not to exceed 50 words) o Scientific production: article, books, conferences, etc.
  • Candidate’s activities having an impact on the development of scientific research in her country (administrative functions related to research, coordination of national and international projects, lecturing, etc. (not to exceed 100 words)
  • Collaborations and partnerships with foreign institutions (table mentioning the type of collaboration, project title, partner institution, researchers, project funding, achievements, etc.)
• PhD Students:
  • CV including:
    • Administrative overview about the PhD: starting date, expected date of graduation, Supervisor, institution, scholarship, etc.
    • Previous achievements of the candidate in her field of research (short list – not to exceed 50 words)
    • Scientific production: article, books, conferences, etc.
    • Candidate’s activities having an impact on the development of scientific research in her country (administrative functions related to research, coordination of national and international projects, lecturing, etc. (not to exceed 100 words)
    • Collaborations and partnerships with foreign institutions (table mentioning the type of collaboration, project title, partner institution, researchers, project funding, achievements, etc.)

For more information, visit Fondation l’Oreal.