Sony Group Corp. and Nature magazine have recently partnered to create the "Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature," a prestigious accolade dedicated to recognizing remarkable female researchers who are contributing to the field of technology. The initiative, officially unveiled on March 6, seeks to champion women in domains of technology that are characterized by a significant gender imbalance, with male researchers outnumbering their female counterparts by more than two-fold.
The inaugural award is set to celebrate the achievements of female researchers in tech, and the first three recipients will each be granted $250,000 (37.5 million yen) in research funds. This joint venture between the Japanese entertainment and electronics powerhouse and the esteemed British science journal is a proactive response to the underrepresentation of women in the realms of professional research and the technology sector, where women constitute only about 30 percent and less than 20 percent of professionals, respectively.
Sony and Nature's decision to establish this award aligns with the upcoming International Women’s Day on March 8, as they aim to foster societal diversity and promote inclusivity within the tech community. The call for applications for the award, open until the end of May, invites female researchers in the fields of mathematics, science, and engineering who earned their undergraduate degrees within the last 25 years to participate. One of the winners at least will be in the early stages of her career, having obtained her undergraduate degree less than 15 years ago, according to the organizers of the award.
Applicants for the "Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature" can submit their entries through the award's website, where the winners will also have an opportunity to showcase their research work and accomplishments on Nature’s online platform. Hiroaki Kitano, Sony’s chief technology officer, expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative, highlighting the importance of diversity and varying experiences in fostering creativity, while underscoring Sony's delight in collaborating with Nature on this significant venture.