Paris, France — 17 February 2025UNESCO and the L'Oréal Foundation have opened the 2025 call for applications for the For Women in Science Young Talents programme in Sub-Saharan Africa, marking the 15th edition of a regional initiative that has supported hundreds of women researchers since its launch in 2010. The call, announced on 17 February 2025, offers 30 endowments — 25 for doctoral students and 5 for post-doctoral researchers — with a submission deadline of 7 April 2025.## A Programme Built on Persistent GapsThe For Women in Science programme was established globally in 2000 through a partnership between L'Oréal and UNESCO, with the Sub-Saharan Africa regional edition following a decade later. Its founding rationale remains unchanged: women are systematically underrepresented in scientific research, particularly in the Global South.According to the UNESCO Science Report 2021, women account for only 33% of researchers worldwide. In sub-Saharan Africa, the figure drops to approximately 32%. The gap widens further at senior career stages, where women hold a disproportionately small share of leadership positions in scientific institutions and receive a fraction of competitive research grants.> [!STAT] The 2025 Sub-Saharan Africa edition offers 30 endowments: 25 for PhD students (€10,000 each) and 5 for post-doctoral researchers (€15,000 each), drawn from 48 countries across the region.## Eligibility and ScopeThe programme is open to women scientists at doctoral and post-doctoral levels working in the following fields:- Life and Environmental Sciences- Physical sciences- Engineering- Mathematics- Computer and information sciencesApplicants must be from one of the 48 countries of sub-Saharan Africa and must either work in a research laboratory or institution in the region or be enrolled at a university there. A specific eligibility rule excludes applicants originally from South Africa who conduct their research within South Africa, as a separate national programme exists for South African researchers. However, South African nationals conducting research in other sub-Saharan African countries remain eligible, and vice versa.| Category | Number of Awards | Grant Amount | Eligibility ||---|---|---|---|| Doctoral students | 25 | €10,000 | PhD candidates (minimum 2nd year) || Post-doctoral researchers | 5 | €15,000 | Post-PhD researchers || Total | 30 | — | 48 sub-Saharan African countries |## Selection CriteriaApplications are evaluated on three dimensions:1. Scientific excellence of the research project2. Quality of the application materials3. Ability to communicate and promote science — a criterion that reflects the programme's commitment to producing not only strong researchers but effective science communicators who can inspire the next generation> [!INSIGHT] The inclusion of science communication as a formal selection criterion is notable. It signals a recognition that closing the gender gap in science requires not only funding individual researchers but enabling them to serve as visible role models — particularly in regions where cultural stereotypes about women in STEM remain deeply entrenched.## A 15-Year Track RecordSince the Sub-Saharan Africa regional programme was established in 2010, it has supported over 200 women scientists across the continent. Past laureates have gone on to lead research laboratories, secure major international grants, and contribute to policy frameworks on issues ranging from infectious disease surveillance to climate adaptation.The programme operates alongside the broader L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards, which each year honours five leading women scientists — one per continent — and has recognised over 130 laureates since 2000. The Young Talents programmes, including the Sub-Saharan Africa edition, serve as a complementary pipeline, supporting researchers at earlier career stages when funding gaps are most acute.## The 2025 Global ContextThe 2025 call for Sub-Saharan Africa was announced alongside several other regional and national calls, including programmes in Switzerland (deadline 31 March 2025), the Middle East (14 April 2025), the Levant (20 April 2025), South Africa (20 May 2025), Türkiye (2 June 2025), Brazil (12 June 2025), and Egypt (30 June 2025). This coordinated rollout reflects the L'Oréal Foundation's strategy of maintaining a year-round global presence in women-in-science funding.> [!NOTICE] The Sub-Saharan Africa programme is distinct from the South Africa national programme. Researchers based in South Africa should apply to the national programme, while those based in the other 47 sub-Saharan African countries apply to the regional programme. Cross-border arrangements (e.g., a Kenyan researcher based in Tanzania) are eligible for the regional programme.## Why This Matters for African ScienceThe €10,000–€15,000 endowments may appear modest by Global North standards, but in the context of African research budgets, they represent a significant proportion of annual project costs. Many African universities operate with per-researcher budgets of less than €5,000 per year, meaning that a single For Women in Science award can fund an entire year of fieldwork, laboratory supplies, or publication fees — resources that often determine whether a promising project reaches completion or stalls.The programme also provides laureates with access to a network of over 3,900 For Women in Science alumni globally, offering mentorship, collaboration, and visibility opportunities that extend well beyond the financial award itself.## Looking ForwardWith the 7 April 2025 deadline now passed, applications are under review by a jury of senior scientists convened by UNESCO and the L'Oréal Foundation. The 2025 laureates are expected to be announced later in the year, joining a growing community of African women researchers whose work spans infectious disease, agricultural science, climate modelling, materials engineering, and computational mathematics.For a programme now in its 15th year in Sub-Saharan Africa, the 2025 edition represents both continuity and quiet expansion — 30 endowments where once there were 15, a widening disciplinary scope, and a persistent commitment to a region where the gender gap in science remains among the world's widest.---Sources:- UNESCO, "L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Young Talents: 2025 call for applications open," 17 February 2025 (updated 19 March 2025)- Opportunity Desk, "L'Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Young Talents – Sub-Saharan Africa 2025," 27 February 2025- For Women in Science platform, Sub-Saharan Africa 2025 regulations- UNESCO Science Report, 2021
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