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The OWSD newsletter brings you the latest news and announcements from the Secretariat and from our international network. Here's what we've been up to so far in 2018. 

New fellowship for
Early Career Women Scientists 



In April, the Call for Applications was opened for the first OWSD fellowships for Early Career Women Scientists (ECWS). This new two-year fellowship, funded by Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC), awards up to USD 50,000 to women who have completed their PhDs in STEM subjects and are employed at an academic or scientific research institute in selected developing countries. ECWS fellows will be supported to continue their research at an international level while based at their home institutes and to build up research groups that will attract international visitors. Applications will be accepted through 31 August. All application materials are available in both English and French.
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2018 OWSD-Elsevier Foundation
Award Winners

From left to right: Silvia González Pérez (Ecuador), Germaine Djuidje Kenmoe (Cameroon), Hasibun Naher (Bangladesh) and
Dawn Iona Fox (Guyana). Not pictured: Witri Wahyu Lestari (Indonesia). Photo credit: Alison Bert, Elsevier

On 17 February, OWSD announced the five winners of the 2018 OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early-Career Women Scientists in the Developing World. Hasibun Naher, Germaine Djuidje Kenmoe, Silvia González Pérez, Dawn Iona Fox and Witri Wahyu Lestari were recognized for their accomplishments in the physical sciences, as well as for their commitment to improving lives and livelihoods in their communities and regions. 
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OWSD 2018 Graduates


OWSD congratulates the postgraduate fellows who have received their PhDs so far in 2018. From environmental chemists to solar cell physicists to livestock scientists, meet the newest Drs.
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New National Chapters
launched in 2018



The OWSD network continued to expand this year, with the launch of three new National Chapters in Mauritius, Rwanda, and Sri Lanka. 
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Meet the Fellows:
Salma Sylla Mbaye

In each edition of the OWSD newsletter, we'll be featuring a different one of our 197 active postgraduate fellows. To kick off, we asked Salma Sylla Mbaye, a 2017 fellow from Senegal, to answer a few questions for us. Salma is truly blazing new trails in science:  when she receives her PhD in astrophysics, she will be the very first astrophysicist in her country. Currently completing a sandwich fellowship at the University of Cadi Ayyad in Morocco, Salma will return to her home institute at the University of Cheikh Anta Diop in Senegal to finalize her thesis, a comparative study of meteoritic impacts on Jupiter and the Moon. Learn more about Salma below.

How did you learn about the OWSD fellowship? How would you say it has impacted your career?

In 2010, eight years ago, I met an astrophysicist from Belgium, Katrien Kolenberg, at an international meeting organized in Dakar. We discussed my enthusiasm to do a PhD in astrophysics; however, in my home country, astrophysics is not yet taught at university, and it was not straightforward to find a way to pursue my dream. In 2017, we learned about OWSD's assistance to women in their scientific careers, and I applied for the PhD fellowship.

With OWSD, I am making my dreams come true. I can begin my science career by doing my PhD in astrophysics. I am very proud to be an OWSD Fellow. In addition to the funding, it also allows for networking, which is very fruitful.

What are you researching? What first made you interested in this subject?

My research is focused on our solar system, in particular on meteoroid impact flashes in Jupiter. This research will allow us to make a more precise estimate of the age of the outer Solar System.

Generally, I am very inspired by astrophysics. I decided to focus on this subject specifically because it will be a good way to introduce the field of astronomy in Senegal. My PhD will be the first astrophysics PhD obtained in Senegal, so it is important to me to do research on something that can attract the next generation.

Has anything surprised you about your research experience?

What has surprised me is that when I talk about my research, most people look at me like they’re lost, as if my field of research is unknown. Now I understand that if we do research, in addition to establishing connections with other researchers, we must also communicate and do a lot of outreach in order to share our science to the community.  

What are your plans for the future? What will you do after you complete your PhD?

After my PhD, I plan to do many things. First, I would like to share my research in my country and to teach astronomy at the university. I would also like to establish connections with the international astrophysics community, and to help grow the emerging astronomy community in Senegal. Finally, I hope to work with the Office of Astronomy for Development (IAU-OAD) and the Africa Initiative for Planetary and Space Science (AFIPS) to do outreach in astronomy at schools in Senegal, and in our neighboring countries.
 

THANK YOU, SALMA!
 

OWSD joins 
Gender Gap in STEM project



In 2018, OWSD became a partner in the ICSU-funded project “Gender Gap in Mathematical, Computing, and Natural Sciences: How to Measure It, How to Reduce It?” This project, which is organized by a collective of scientific unions, will collect sound data to inform interventions that ICSU and the participating unions can undertake to promote girls and women in STEM fields. A major component of the project is the Global Survey of Mathematical, Computing, and Natural Scientists, which is hoping to collect data on women's and men's experiences in STEM from more than 45,000 respondents worldwide. 
 
Take the Global Survey of Mathematical, Computing, and Natural Scientists
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That's it for this edition - if you like this newsletter, please share it. 
Copyright © 2018 The Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World, All rights reserved.


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