Announcement of winners for the fourth “Marie Sklodowska Curie Award”

JST has selected winners for the fourth Marie Sklodowska Curie Award for young female researchers. For the fourth Marie Sklodowska Curie Award, we accepted applications from October 1 to December 10, 2024. Through document screenings and interviews with external experts, we have selected one Grand Prize winner and two Inspiration Prize winners. JEOL Ltd. will award 1M yen for the Grand Prize and 500K yen for each Inspiration Prize.

JST recognizes the importance of initiatives designed to promote the activities of female researchers in science, technology, and innovation, and based on this belief we established the “Marie Sklodowska Curie Award” in 2021, together with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland, for awarding young female researchers who are expected to flourish across the world. The award’s namesake, Dr. Marie Sklodowska Curie, was recognized for her achievements in her early thirties and later won two Nobel Prizes. The award honors her great contribution and achievements to the development of science and technology, and we hope her example will inspire the ambitions of Japanese female researchers.

While the latter half of the doctoral program and the first few years after obtaining doctoral degrees are the most promising period for female researchers to make great strides as independent researchers, it is also true that they often face various life events during this period. By honoring the achievements of the winners and making them widely recognized, we hope that this award will support them to take a leap forward with their passion and flexibility as well as to foster the next generation of female researchers.

The Winners of the Fourth Marie Sklodowska Curie Award

Grand Prize Winner

Prize pot: 1M yen

Sub prize: Travel expenses (transportation and accommodation) to visit research institutes in Poland

FUJISHIRO Yukako

RIKEN ECL Unit Leader

RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science & Pioneering Research Institute

Extreme Quantum Matter Physics RIKEN ECL Research Unit

Driven by her curiosity to observe phase transitions that alter topological order parameters, Dr. Fujishiro initiated her project, which has since demonstrated her strong leadership and produced outstanding research results recognized both domestically and internationally. Her innovative approach to the synthesis and characterization of new quantum materials is expected to contribute to paradigm shifts in social infrastructure and electronic devices in the future. She possesses excellent presentation skills and is dedicated to supporting young researchers and promoting science communication. Dr. Fujishiro is expected to make significant contributions both in Japan and abroad in the future as a researcher.

Inspiration Prize Winners

Prize pot: 500K yen each

TEI Reika

Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Genetics, Stanford University

Dr. Tei is actively pursuing innovative research aimed at elucidating and controlling the dynamics of intracellular biomolecules through the development of unique molecular tools and has achieved outstanding research results. Her ambitious research activities, driven by a clear vision, are expected to lead to further remarkable advancements. In addition to her research activities, Dr. Tei advocates for the importance of diversity in research environments to the next generation of researchers and international students through her lectures that draw upon her personal experiences. She is a promising young researcher with a bright future who is expected to make significant contributions on the global stage.

YOSHIMOTO Airi

JSPS Overseas Postdoctoral Fellow

Department of Biology, Stanford University

Dr. Yoshimoto, despite being a graduate student at the time of selection, has already achieved numerous outstanding results studying the interactions between the central nervous system and peripheral control systems, such as elucidating the neural mechanisms that enable intentional heart rate control. She actively participates in international collaborative research and has conducted research at multiple universities both domestically and internationally. We expect Dr. Yoshimoto to achieve even greater advancements in the future as a researcher. Her passion and drive for research, combined with excellent presentation skills, suggest that she has high potential not only as a researcher but also as an educator. She is a researcher with a highly promising future.

For more information, please refer to the website below.

URL: https://www.jst.go.jp/diversity/en/OurEfforts/mscaward/index.html

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