4 international STEM scholarships for women
There are more opportunities being offered to encourage women in STEM, like these scholarships. Source: Shutterstock

Around the world, there remains a large gender gap in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) occupations.

Women make up less than 10 percent of the engineering workforce in the UK while in the US, only a quarter of those who work in STEM-based fields are women. Therefore, there is a clear and collective need to ensure this disparity will eventually change.

Efforts are being made by schools, universities, and organisations to encourage more females to not only pursue STEM majors and careers, but also provide them with self-confidence to pursue their passions in a traditionally male-dominated industry.

One way is to offer scholarships to women with a keen interest in STEM, giving them the opportunity to further their careers without financial burden or restrictions.

Here are some STEM scholarships that are open to female students all around the world.

Science Ambassador Scholarship

Funded by the popular party game Cards for Humanity, the Science Ambassador Scholarship is open to high school seniors or undergraduate college student from any nationality.

The full-tuition scholarship enables women to earn their undergraduate degrees in either science, engineering or math.

According to The Penny Hoarder, “The iconic card game funds the scholarship program through its 30-card Science Pack expansion set, which retails for $10. All profits from sales of the Science Pack go toward the scholarship, which is up to more than $1.1 million.”

To apply, you’ll need to film a short three-minute video explaining a particular STEM topic that you’re passionate about. Examples of prior application videos can be seen here.

Applications are then reviewed by an advisory board of 50 women who work in STEM-related professions.

For more information, please visit the official website.

Faculty for the Future 

Offered by the Schlumberger Foundation, the Faculty for the Future program awards fellowships to talented women in STEM across a diverse range of disciplines in universities around the world.

Roseline Chapel, the foundation’s president, said, “The Schlumberger Foundation is determined to reach out to those countries and regions that are still under-represented and is expecting to receive more applications from these areas in September 2019 when the next call for applications will open.”

Fellowships are awarded to those who meet the criteria on academic ability, leadership qualities, engagement in STEM outreach activities in under-served communities in their home countries, and those who have overcome the odds to excel in academics.

To apply, you must be female and from a developing country/ emerging economy, are preparing for a PhD degree or post-doctoral research in a STEM discipline, and are enrolled, admitted or have applied to a host university/research institute abroad.

For more information, click here.

Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellowship

This fellowship was first established back in 1938 in honour of Amelia Earhart by Zonta International, a service club made up of executive women who are sole representatives of one business or profession in a community, of which Earhart was a member.

For those not in the know, Amelia Earhart was an American aviation pioneer and the first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. In an attempt to make a circumnavigational flight of the globe in 1937, Earhart suddenly disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean near Howland Island. What happened to her on that fateful day remains a mystery to this day.

The US$10,000 Fellowship established in her name is awarded annually to up to 30 women pursuing Ph.D./doctoral degrees in aerospace-applied sciences or aerospace-applied engineering, to be used at any university or college offering accredited post-graduate courses and degrees in these fields.

Previous recipients of this fellowships have gone on to become astronauts, aerospace engineers, astronomers, professors, geologists, business owners, heads of companies, and even Secretary of the US Air Force.

Women of any nationality pursuing a PhD/doctoral degree who demonstrate a superior academic record in the field of aerospace-applied sciences or aerospace-applied engineering are eligible to apply.

They must be registered in a full-time PhD/doctoral program and completed at least one year of that program or have received a master’s degree in an aerospace-applied field at the time the application is submitted.

For more information, visit the official page.

Women Techmakers Scholars Program

Formerly known as the Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship Program, Google aims to further Dr. Anita Borg’s “vision of creating gender equality in the field of computer science by encouraging women to excel in computing and technology and become active leaders and role models in the field.”

Borg, who passed away in 2003, was an inspiring “technology rebel with a cause” who worked tirelessly to revolutionise the way we think about technology and break through barriers that held women back in the field.

This Scholars program, established in her memory to support women in technology, consists of a few elements: an academic scholarship, the opportunity to participate in professional and personal development trainings and workshops by Google, as well as joining an online network designed to share resources and collaborate on projects to make continued impact in the tech world.

To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate a history of academic excellence and interest in STEM. There are different requirements and scholarship awards based on the applicant’s home country. To find out more, please click here.

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