Imperial launches call for next generation of women scientists from South Asia

Imperial has launched a programme to help nurture the next generation of leading women scientists from South Asia.

In partnership with the British Council, Imperial is offering fully funded Early Academic Fellowships to women from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka to spend up to a year in London at one of the world’s top universities. 

The Fellowships have been created to help address the under-representation of women in STEM and will provide a springboard for scholars to launch research careers. The programme seeks to support women who are at the very start of their research careers but may face barriers, including financial.     

Vice Provost (Research & Enterprise) Professor Mary Ryan said, "Imperial is one of the world's most international universities. Much of our success is due to the global talent we attract. Every young scientist should have the same opportunities to develop their ideas and career, and we need to support those under-represented and disadvantaged financially.  

"This new Fellowship programme will remove some of the barriers faced by women scientists in South Asia and enable the next generation of rising stars to access a world-class research ecosystem and fulfil their potential." 

The research placements will support candidates to contribute to science and innovation for sustainable development in their home countries, helping the successful applicants to become ambassadors to inspire future generations of women to pursue a career in STEM. 

Current Fellow, Dr Shashi Arya from India is based at the Centre for Environmental Policy. 
 
Shashi said: “The British Council Women in STEM Fellowship is a dream come true. Thanks to this scholarship, I can expand my work, ideas, skills, and abilities. It is an extremely unique opportunity as it has supported women to go out and achieve their dreams. 
 
Shashi, who is researching electronic waste (e-waste), added: “My research aims to understand and provide an advanced and sustainable solution to the growing threat of e-waste. It is one of the fastest-growing wastes and a major concern worldwide.

"The UK is one of the second largest e-waste generators in the world and due to its hazardous composition, it has become a threat to the environment and human health. This means it has become an important concern and hot topic all over the world to come up with immediate solutions.  
 
“My work at Imperial is to propose and come up with innovative and cost-effective solutions to minimize the problems and maximise possible potential benefits. Working at Imperial opens up many new avenues and hopefully, it will facilitate my career path by paving the way for collaborations with a wide range of local and international companies and organizations involved in e-waste management and circular economy.” 

Dr Kasturi Singh, from India, is based at the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment, said: “I feel women face lots of hardship during their careers, particularly women who chose STEM.  
 
“It’s important that we share the inspiring and exceptional stories of women from the STEM field, to inspire other women and girls to pursue careers in science and research. The diverse student and staff mass from all around the world at Imperial makes it more enjoyable for me to work here.

"Since my first day, I found the environment at Imperial to be very friendly, everyone is extremely helpful, be it research work or day-to-day life.” 
 
Kasturi, who is researching tropical cyclones dynamics and climatology, added: “My research focuses on the impact of the size of the initial disturbances on the intensification process of the system. We are using weather research and forecasting to simulate tropical cyclones. 

The visiting research placements are for six to 12 months and will start in the 2023/24 academic year. The successful candidates will receive a monthly stipend, and support from the College with other expenses such as travel and research costs. 

Find out more and apply for the Fellowship here 
The deadline for applying is Friday 19 May 23.59 (BST).