Sony and Nature Partner to Champion Women in Technology with New Award
In a significant step towards promoting diversity and inclusion in the tech sector, Sony Group Corp. and Nature magazine have joined forces to launch the "Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature." This international prize aims to recognize and celebrate the achievements of outstanding female researchers working in technology fields.
The award specifically targets domains where women are significantly underrepresented, with male researchers outnumbering them by more than two to one. Recognizing the crucial need for increased female participation in research and engineering, Magdalena Skipper, the first female editor-in-chief at Nature, emphasizes the importance of providing a platform to showcase the work of these often-overlooked researchers.
The inaugural award ceremony will take place early next year, with three exceptional women researchers receiving $250,000 (37.5 million yen) each to support their research endeavors. The joint initiative by Sony and Nature comes at a pivotal moment, coinciding with International Women's Day on March 8th, highlighting their commitment to fostering a more diverse and inclusive tech landscape.
The award specifically seeks to recognize researchers in the fields of mathematics, science, and engineering who obtained their undergraduate degrees within the past 25 years. At least one of the winners will be in the early stages of her career, having earned her undergraduate degree less than 15 years ago.
Applications for the award are open until the end of May and can be submitted through the award's official website (https://womenintechnology.sony.com/). The selected winners will also have the opportunity to share their research and accomplishments on Nature's website, further amplifying their contributions to the field.
Hiroaki Kitano, Sony's chief technology officer, underscores the importance of diversity in fostering creativity and innovation. He expresses his delight in collaborating with Nature on this crucial initiative, aiming to empower and celebrate the achievements of women in technology.