L’Oréal-UNESCO International Award

For Women in Science empowers brilliant women scientists by rewarding and promoting their outstanding research and raising their profile at a global level.

Rewarding outstanding women scientists

The For Women in Science International program functions at multiple levels in order to reach women at all stages of their scientific careers and support them in overcoming the obstacles that too often prevent them from becoming senior researchers. This starts with our International For Women in Science program, which honours five brilliant female scientists each year for their remarkable contribution to advancing research, promoting their work globally and empowering them to act as role models for aspiring women scientists and future generations.

137 international Laureates since 1998.

Laureate L'Oréal-UNESCO International Award

An international, highly respected scientific jury selects our five laureates from hundreds of nominees, recognising their distinguished achievements on a global scale. We reward researchers in Life and Environmental Sciences, and Physical Science, Mathematics and Computer Science in alternate years. To support women-led scientific excellence in addressing societal needs worldwide, we select one Laureate from each of the five major continents: Africa and the Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North America. Each Laureate receives €100,000 to further her research, together with media training and extensive media opportunities to raise her profile within the international scientific community and the general public.

Seven of our 137 international Laureates have received Nobel Prizes for Science:Elizabeth H. Blackburn (2005 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine), Ada Yonath (2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry), Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna (2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry), Anne L'Huillier (2023 Nobel Prize in Physics), Katalin Karikó (2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine) and Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard (1995 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine).

Laureates 2025

LAUREATE FOR AFRICA AND THE ARAB STATES

Professor Priscilla Baker, Analytical Chemistry

Professor of Chemistry, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa.

Rewarded for her outstanding contribution in the field of highly sensitive electrochemical microsensors for detecting contaminants in the environment, with applications in pharmaceuticals, food, health and energy. Her dedication as a mentor in analytical electrochemistry has empowered students and early-career scientists to undertake innovative research projects in this field.
LAUREATE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Professor Xiaoyun Wang, Applied Mathematics

Chen-Ning Yang Professorship, Institute for Advanced Study, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.

Rewarded for her significant contribution to cryptography and cryptographic mathematics, critical for secure data communication and storage. Her breakthrough work showed essential flaws on hash functions, which are widely used in communication protocols and led to the invention of the new hash function standards. Today, these standards are used for bank cards, computer passwords, and e-commerce. The visibility of her revolutionary work has encouraged many female students to pursue a research career in mathematics and network security.
LAUREATE FOR EUROPE

Professor Claudia Felser, Condensed Matter Physics

Director and Scientific Member, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Dresden, Germany.

Rewarded for her pioneering work at the crossroads of physics, mathematics and chemistry that led to the discovery and creation of new magnetic materials with great promise for future green energy technologies. Her visionary approach has paved the way for the new field of “topological quantum chemistry” and sparked a revolution in the field of relativistic matter. Her outstanding dedication and impact have built a bridge from fundamental science to real-world challenges in data storage and green energy technologies. She is a leading figure in communicating the relevance of science to the public, including by encouraging and mentoring young generations, especially women, to pursue a career in science.
LAUREATE FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Professor María Teresa Dova, Particle and Fields Physics

Professor at Physics Department, Faculty of Exact Sciences, National University of La Plata, and Senior Researcher at National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), La Plata, Argentina.

Rewarded for her key contributions to high energy physics including the discovery and characterization of the Higgs boson, the search for new physics and her remarkable work in the study of cosmic ray physics. Her leadership in the field and her exceptional dedication to mentoring young scientists have inspired a new generation and led Argentina to play a major role in experimental physics worldwide.
LAUREATE FOR NORTH AMERICA

Professor Barbara Finlayson-Pitts, Environmental Science

Distinguished Professor Emerita, Chemistry Department and Founder/Co-Director, Atmospheric Integrated Research Institute, University of California, Irvine, United States of America.

Rewarded for her groundbreaking research revealing new processes in the formation of air pollution as photochemical smog, she established the molecular basis of reactions at the interfaces between atmosphere and airborne particles. Her unique ability to translate fundamental findings into real-life applications have led to seminal contributions to public policy and regulations on atmospheric chemistry, ultimately improving air quality. Her enthusiasm made her a passionate and remarkable professor and mentor.

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The jury

Each year, an international highly respected scientific jury selects the five Laureates of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Award from hundreds of nominees, recognizing their distinguished achievements on a global scale.

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