The event was an occasion to introduce the new Plan of actions designed by the Equal Opportunity Committee for 2023-2026, to discuss about strategies for supporting women scientists and promoting their career advance, as well as to showcase some important research carried out by women at the ICN2. The awarding ceremony of the ICN2 Women Talent Programme 2022 closed the celebration.
The ICN2 celebrated the International Women’s Day (March 8) with a dedicated event organised by the ICN2 Equal Opportunities Committee and held on March 7. It included a few talks, a panel discussion and the ICN2 Women Talent Programme 2022 Awards ceremony. This Programme is meant to give visibility and financial support to female researchers (in particular at the early stage of their career), by awarding the best PhD theses, articles published in peer-reviewed journal, and project grants received by women from the ICN2.
The event was opened up by ICREA Prof José Garrido, leader of the Advanced Electronic Materials and Devices Group and ICN2 Vice Director, and by Dr Neus Bastús, Senior Researcher in the Inorganic Nanoparticle Group and Chair of the ICN2 Equal Opportunities Committee,.
“My idea of feminism is self-determination and it’s very open-ended: every woman has the right to become herself and do whatever she needs to do.” With this quote from singer and songwriter Ani Difranco, Dr Neus Bastús started her presentation of the activities of the ICN2 Equal Opportunity Committee and, specifically, the 3rd ICN2 Equal Opportunities Plan (2023-2026). It defines a series of actions to support career progress and inclusion of more women and members of under-represented communities in ICN2 and science in general.
Then, two of the recipients of the ICN2 Women Talent Programme 2022 Awards 2021 gave a presentation on the research activity for which they were awarded:
- Dr Noemí Contreras Pereda, who won the Best Predoctoral Publication Award 2021 for her work on “Synthesis of 2D Porous crystalline materials in simulated microgravity”.
- Dr Ting Zhang, winner of one of the Best PhD Thesis Awards 2021 for her work on “Zn-based metal-organic frameworks derived materials for high-efficient carbon dioxide electrochemical reduction”.
A round table on strategies to promote career development for female researchers followed, which was moderated by Fanny Baumann, doctoral student in the Nanostructured Materials for Photovoltaic Energy Group. The panellists –who were the aforementioned previous awardees and three more researchers: Dr Mary Cano Sarabia (Supramolecular NanoChemistry and Materials), Dr Juan Sierra García (Physics and Engineering of Nanodevices), and Dr Alejandro Gómez Roca (Magnetic Nanostructures Group)– shared their insights on what strategies work and what could be improved. Most of the participants appreciated the support offered by the ICN2 to find a balance between work and family life. It was also mentioned the importance of having women role models and the usefulness of mentorship programmes, which can help women connect with more experienced professionals, who can offer guidance and advice throughout their careers. Flexible work hours and the reciprocal support between researchers can provide important resources to reach work-life balance. Ideas for improvements were also suggested, such as having childcare services on campus, which could help women and men to better manage their personal and professional responsibilities.
The event concluded with the awarding ceremony of the ICN2 Women Talent Programme 2022 Awards, whose winners are:
- Best PhD thesis: Dr Maria Tenorio Tuñas, On-surface synthesis of nitrogen-doped graphene-based nanoarchitectures: 0D nanographenes, 1D nanoribbons and 2D nanoporous graphene
- Best predoctoral publication (first place): Dr Laura Hernandez Lopez, pH-triggered removal of nitrogenous organic micropoll from water by using metal-organic polyhedral
- Best predoctoral publication (second place): Dr Xiaoman Mao, Intranasal administration of catechol-based Pt (IV) coordination polymer nanoparticles for glioblastoma therapy
- Best postdoctoral publication: Dr Juliana Jaramillo-Fernandez, Highly-scattering Cellulose-Based films for radioactive cooling
It was a successful gathering, as proved by the packed seminar room and the high participation of the attendees in the roundtable. The presentation and the discussion were engaging and informative and it was an excellent occasion to reflect on equality issues and to highlight the important contributions of women in science and technology.
Watch the full video of the event here: