Six outstanding Polish female researchers with prestigious award

The names of the scholarship recipients of this year's edition of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women and Science program were announced at a gala held on November 20 in Warsaw. Among the guests were the program's partners: representatives of the Polish Committee for UNESCO, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Polish Academy of Sciences and the UN Global Compact Network Poland. In addition to the prestigious award, the awarded female scientists received financial scholarships that will support the further development of their research careers, as well as a prize of PLN 15,000, awarded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

Inequalities still present

With increasing social problems emerging in our reality with greater intensity than ever before, women's participation in science is crucial. Gender diversity in research teams positively affects creativity and problem-solving efficiency. Limited representation of women in science can therefore slow down the development of research perspectives and innovation.

Women are still in the minority in technical and engineering disciplines, as the percentage figures for female academics show. In Poland, men make up more than 40% of academics in medical sciences and health sciences, while women make up only about 27% of academics in engineering and technical sciences. The lowest share of women was recorded in astronomy (25.9%) and physical sciences (22.6%).

All indications are that, despite progress in some fields, many areas of science are still male-dominated. A report prepared by the Information Processing Center (OPI) and commissioned by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education clearly emphasizes that the share of women in the sciences and natural sciences has increased slightly from 41.7% in 2019 to 42.9% in 2022. While this increase indicates some progress, it is relatively small, confirming that there is still a strong male dominance in these fields (56.9% in 2022).

For L'Oréal, science is a great value, and innovation in the world of science cannot be carried out without the presence of women. Supporting the development of female scientists and promoting diversity in research teams is one of our priorities. That's why for more than 24 years, as part of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women and Science program, we have supported outstanding female researchers by awarding scholarships that have already helped 129 women in Poland develop their scientific careers. We believe that enhancing the role of women in science not only contributes to equality, but also improves the quality and effectiveness of research that addresses key challenges in today's world. - said Valéry Gaucherand, President of L'Oréal Poland and the Baltics.

Today is women's time in many areas of life, including science. Nevertheless, women still face numerous obstacles in pursuing the scientific career path they have dreamed of. The Ministry of Science and Higher Education will make every effort to help them in these pursuits. We support female scientists with activities that give them new opportunities, which are aimed at promoting themselves and their scientific achievements. Women in Polish science are making a real and positive impact on the state of science, which brings economic, social and cultural benefits. - Dariusz Wieczorek, Minister of Science.

"Gender Equality" has been one of UNESCO's two Global Priorities for many years (the other is "Priority Africa"). It has a tremendous focus on the empowerment of women in all areas that require it, and on the related overcoming of discriminatory stereotypes. As I have had occasion to emphasize more than once, the UNESCO - L'Oréal Foundation partnership and, within its framework, the "For Women and Science" program is very important from this point of view and as a contribution to the development of science. This is evidenced by the names of Nobel laureates who have previously been awarded the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Prize. This is also evidenced by the outstanding achievements of female winners of national competitions now being held around the world, including the Polish one, held continuously since 2001. For this reason, I would like to reiterate my special gratitude to L'Oréal Poland - for the idea, which was conceived as early as 2000, and for the consistency and perseverance in its splendid implementation. - Prof. Michał Kleiber, Chairman of the Polish Committee for UNESCO.

The Polish Academy of Sciences' involvement in the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women and Science program, launched in 2018, recognizes the achievements of women scientists and encourages them to take on new challenges and realize their scientific aspirations.

The Academy actively supports women through initiatives such as the cyclical "Become a Researcher" campaign organized by the Academy of Young Scientists of the Polish Academy of Sciences, which aims to inspire young women to choose a career path in science. In addition, we are implementing the Gender Equality Plan, which systematically works to create a more inclusive and equal working environment in science.

The "For Women and Science" program and our own activities are perfectly in line with our efforts to support female scientists and create conditions conducive to their development. For us, cooperation with L'Oréal Poland is an extremely valuable part of these activities, bringing tangible benefits to the entire Polish scientific community. - Prof. Dr. Katarzyna Starowicz-Bubak, Polish Academy of Sciences.

In modern history, there has been a whole group of women scientists and researchers whose contributions have been overlooked, forgotten or attributed to men.

Despite decades of struggle for women's rights, inequalities in the world of science remain apparent. They stem from outdated beliefs and systemic barriers, and they shape socially accepted patterns, views and life choices.

Initiatives such as the "For Women in Science" scholarships help break down harmful stereotypes and open up new opportunities not only for women, but also for the entire world of science. Our goal is a world where Marie Sklodowska-Curie does not have to prove that she is an outstanding scientist by breaking through a wall of misogyny to become a full member of the French Academy of Sciences, and where she does not have to leave the Kingdom of Poland and emigrate to France, because in the Polish reality of the time, access to higher education was closed to women. Isn't the fate of women in Afghanistan today a dramatic echo of the challenges of Maria Skłodowska's youth? Isn't the fate of women in a long list of authoritarian countries a gross injustice and a violation of the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? This is why we must continue to fight and not stop in the struggle for women's rights and for equality in science, because as we can see from the example of Afghanistan, this struggle is far from over - Kamil Wyszkowski, Country Representative and Executive Director of UN Global Compact Network Poland.

Supporting women to advance their scientific careers, consistently for 24 years

The applications of this year's Fellows were evaluated by a Jury composed of distinguished representatives of Polish science, chaired by Professor Ewa Łojkowska, PhD. Among the best applications, 6 projects were distinguished, awarding their authors: 3 postdoctoral fellowships of PLN 40,000, 2 doctoral fellowships of PLN 35,000 and a master's scholarship of PLN 25,000.

All the awarded researchers, with the support of the Program Partners, will participate in international conferences and symposia, and their achievements will be promoted not only in the scientific community, but also presented to the wider public.

Over the 24 years of our activity, a lot has changed. First of all, gender equality plans have been implementedat virtually all Polish universities - a requirement of the European Commission. The perception of women, their role in research teams has also changed. We are more willing to use feminatives, such as the word "scientist," female researchers are winners of non-scientific competitions and take part in socially important events. However, this is still not enough to be able to talk about equal opportunities for women and men in the world of science. An important task for the coming years is to educate about equality in research teams, promote science among younger generations of girls and promote the research successes of talented female scientists in the media. Science needs women, and the world needs science to meet the challenges of the future," added Prof. Ewa Łojkowska, Chair of the Jury of the L'Oréal-UNESCO Program for Women and Science.

The L'Oréal-UNESCO Scholarship Program for Women and Science is an initiative that for 24 years has recognized and appreciated the achievements of women scientists. To date, 129 female researchers have been awarded in Poland, whose scientific achievements have been honored by the Jury. The scholarship recipients successfully carry out their research not only in Poland, but also internationally. 

Scholarship recipients of the 24th edition of the L'Oréal-UNESCO Program for Women and Science

MA CATEGORY

Justyna Jakubska
Faculty of Chemistry, Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice

Justyna Jakubska is researching biodegradable and germicidal packaging materials. Her work focuses on developing eco-friendly materials made of chitosan, sodium alginate and starch, which could provide an alternative to plastic.

DOCTORAL CATEGORY

Hanna Orlikowska-Rzeźnik, M.Sc.
Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering Physics, Poznan University of Technology

Hanna Orlikowska-Rzeźnik, M.Sc., is a research assistant at Poznan University of Technology, where she conducts research on the role of cholesterol and lipid rafts in membrane fusion. Her achievements include 18 scientific articles, 4 patents, and participation in international research projects.

Maja Szymczak, M.A.

Institute of Low Temperatures and Structural Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland

Maja Szymczak's PhD thesis focuses on optical pressure sensors based on Cr³⁺ ion luminescence. She is the author of 19 scientific publications in renowned journals such as Advanced Functional Materials and Chemical Engineering Journal, as well as the author of a patent. She serves as the manager of an NCN Prelude grant and is actively involved in numerous research projects.

HABILITATION CATEGORY

Dr. Katarzyna Klonowska  

Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznań

Dr. Katarzyna Klonowska, a geneticist, heads the Department of Cancer Genetics at the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences (ICHB PAS) in Poznan. The scientist has conducted research on tuberous sclerosis (TSC), which has led to practical discoveries with potential applications in diagnostics. She is the author of 21 publications, including in journals such as the American Journal of Human Genetics and Nature Communications.

Dr. Alicja Mikolajczyk

Department of Chemistry, University of Gdansk

Dr. Alicja Mikolajczyk, a chemist specializing in the digital design of materials, chemicals and drugs, with a focus on their sustainability and safety. Her research focuses on methods of artificial intelligence, machine learning and quantum chemistry, she has completed several internships in the United States, and collaborates with 70 universities around the world on key EU projects.

Dr. Zuzanna Swirad

Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw

Dr. Zuzanna Swirad, a geomorphologist, specializes in the study of coastal erosion. After her PhD, she continued her research at the University of California, San Diego, developing tools for automated cliff mapping. Since 2022, she has been working at the Institute of Geophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, where she researches the impact of the disappearance of sea ice cover on Arctic coastal erosion. She has authored numerous publications and participated in prestigious conferences.

Source: press mat.