Sony and Nature Partner to Champion Women in Technology with New Award
In a significant step towards promoting gender diversity and inclusion in the tech sector, Sony Group Corp. and Nature magazine have joined forces to establish 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 currently 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 researchers receiving $250,000 (37.5 million yen) each to support their ongoing research endeavors. This initiative aligns with the broader goal of promoting societal diversity and inclusion, as highlighted by Sony and Nature in their joint announcement.
To be eligible for the award, researchers must have obtained their undergraduate degrees within the past 25 years and be working in the fields of mathematics, science, or engineering. Additionally, at least one of the winners will be in the early stages of their career, having received their undergraduate degree less than 15 years ago.
Applications for the award are now open and can be submitted through the dedicated website (https://womenintechnology.sony.com/) until the end of May. The selected winners will also have the opportunity to share their research and accomplishments on Nature's website, further amplifying their impact and inspiring future generations of women in technology.
Hiroaki Kitano, Sony's chief technology officer, underscores the importance of diversity in expertise and experiences for fostering creativity and innovation. He expresses his delight in collaborating with Nature on this significant initiative, which promises to empower and celebrate the contributions of women in shaping the future of technology.