First Filipina fellows in science honored

MANILA, Philippines - For many years, the field of science has been a man’s world. In fact, since 1901, there have been over 300 recipients of the Nobel Prize in the sciences. Only 10 of them – about three percent – have been women. However, today, more women scientists are breaking ground and making a name for themselves, overcoming biases and lack of opportunities to maximize their potential.

As a testament to this movement, two organizations came together 12 years ago sharing a vision to identify, reward and encourage women scientists. The unique partnership of L’Oréal, the worldwide leader in cosmetics, and UNESCO, a specialized agency of the United Nations, resulted in one of the most prestigious international programs, For Women in Science (FWIS). 

The first of its kind, FWIS has vigorously promoted excellence among young women scientists worldwide for more than a decade. It has become one of the most anticipated annual events in the scientific community in more than 93 countries. To date, nearly 1,100 women have received FWIS awards – 67 laureates from 30 countries and over 1,000 fellowship awardees.

In 2010, L’Oréal Philippines, in unison with other participating countries, joined the battle-cry, “The world needs science...Science needs women,” bringing the ambitious program to the local scene. For Women in Science National Fellowships – Philippines 2010 in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and UNESCO Philippines was launched with the search for exceptional women in the Life and Material Sciences.

Luc Olivier-Marquet, managing director of L’Oréal Philippines, says, “Scientific excellence has always been at the heart of L’Oréal and everything we do. We invest heavily in research and innovation to ensure that we provide the best in the cosmetics industry. We launched the FWIS National Fellowships in the Philippines in order to recognize and award Filipina scientists, in the hope of encouraging broader involvement of women at all levels of the scientific community.”

L’Oréal Philippines proudly announced the first FWIS National Fellows – Dr. Maria Corazon de Ungria and Dr. Laura David. Both women were awarded fellowship grants worth P400,000 each, after a stringent judging process by an esteemed jury chaired by Prof. Lourdes Cruz, the first Filipino and first ASEAN Laureate of the FWIS L’Oréal-UNESCO Awards.

Luc adds, “We are deeply pleased to award Dr. De Ungria and Dr. David for their groundbreaking work and unfailing commitment to science. These women are inspirational role models choosing the road less taken and even with that seemingly daunting decision, they have contributed much through their hard work in their chosen fields of study.”

Dr. De Ungria is a Professorial Lecturer for the Science and Technology Series at the College of Science and head of the DNA Analysis Laboratory at the Natural Sciences Research Institute of the University of the Philippines. She is awarded the FWIS National Fellowship grant for her research proposal in Mitochondrial DNA Diversity of Philippine Negrito Populations. The project is part of an overall program aimed to study Philippine genetic diversity for anthropological, forensic and medical applications.

Dr. David is a professor at the Marine Science Institute of the University of the Philippines and is an active member in the Technical Committee on Climate Change of the Philippine National Academy of Science and Technology and IGBP-Land Ocean Interaction in the Coastal Zone Project SEAsia Node Core group. Her research proposal in Endeavoring for Wise Mariculture, a study the different regions in the Philippines vis-à-vis their physical characteristics to evaluate the appropriateness of each site as a mariculture park, won her the prestigious award.  

This year, L’Oréal Philippines is once again searching for the next FWIS National Fellows. This year, the FWIS National Fellowships–Philippines will accept research proposals related to the Life and Material Sciences from applicants who hold a Ph.D. degree in any field of science and are not more than 45 years old. Two fellowship grants worth P400,000 each will be given to two deserving women based on the judging criteria of an esteemed jury composed of representatives from L’Oréal Philippines, UNESCO and the DOST. Nominations will be accepted from November 2011 to February 2012.

To expand its search for women scientists to the rest of the country, L’oreal Philippines will be embarking on an academic tour covering Manila, Cental Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao from October to November.

To know more about the fellowships, log on to www.fwis.com.ph or email the FWIS Secretariat at [email protected].