Championing the next generation of women researchers driving positive impact for society and planet: "Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature" Part 1
In March 2024, Sony partnered with Nature, the internationally renowned science journal, and launched the "Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature" to empower women researchers in the early to mid-career stages. Hiroaki Kitano, Executive Deputy President and CTO of Sony Group Corporation, who is also a researcher himself, and Magdalena Skipper, Editor in Chief of Nature, discuss underrepresentation in the technology field and merits of diverse perspectives in research and development. We will feature their dialogue as a two part series in the corporate blog. In this edition, they discuss the significant contributions by women researchers in the technology field and how this award envisions to support the next generation of women researchers.
On "Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature"
"Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature" recognizes outstanding early to mid-career women researchers in technology (including science, engineering, and mathematics) whose work is driving positive impact on society and the planet. The award will support the winners to accelerate work related to their research in terms of research funding (250K USD per winner) and networking opportunities.
Women researchers deserve more recognition
Magdalena spoke of her expectation for the award, of how spotlighting contributions of women researchers will allow us to discover new, outstanding researchers.
"Women, insufficiently often, win awards that are open. I'm already looking forward to the applications - based on my past experience of reviewing applications from early career women researchers, when they share their experience and their contributions, I know we're really in for a treat, it's going to be amazing, and actually humbling as well."
Kitano points out that women researchers have invented groundbreaking technologies that have contributed to shaping today's society.
"Ada Lovelace is a very historical example, and Adele Goldberg invented Smalltalk, object-oriented programming. Spectrum Communication System was invented by Hedy Lamarr, and without her invention with her collaborator, we wouldn't have mobile phones"
They also reaffirmed their shared recognition that the role of women researchers are still underplayed, and spoke of the ambitions of the award to recognize the contributions of women researchers and empower them to open new possibilities.
Becoming a career game-changer for the next generation of researchers
Kitano stressed why it is so important for this award to support researchers in their early to mid-career stage: "more independency of the research in the early stage in their careers, would help with their future careers and would help them nurture and pursue their own creative ideas."
Citing examples of how lack of diverse perspectives had resulted in biased outcomes, Magdalena added on, "by empowering and enabling women innovators and technologists, I think we're actually going to significantly influence the type of innovations we`re going to see, (as they will be in a position to direct their research)."
They each shared their view on how to further support women researchers working to creating the future and driving positive change for the society and planet.
"It will be important to follow up on what these women achieve, how they develop, so we can continue to support them, spotlight them and showcase their efforts but also identify where they continue to face problems." (Magdalena)
"If we can help them build a network of like-minded people, to help and positively influence each other, I think that`s important and helps them a lot." (Kitano)
Applications are currently open for the Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature which will honor three outstanding early to mid-career women researchers driving positive change in any domain of technology with a prize of $250,000 USD each. Applications open through May 31, 2024.
