Application guide
Follow our guide for a seamless application experience.
AWARD KEY DATES
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Mar 6, 2024
Applications open
May 31, 2024
Applications close
Nov, 2024
Shortlist announcement
Feb, 2025
Winners announcement
Am I eligible?
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Here are the criteria for the award.
Self-identify as a woman
Work in technology
Early to Mid-Career Phase
We embrace diversity and welcome applications from those identifying as women, including transgender women, genderqueer, and non-binary individuals.
Open to individuals engaged in research within the field of technology. Whether you're affiliated with a university, research institute, or university spinouts - if you're creating physical or digital tools and solutions, using mathematical and physical science to achieve practical goals, we encourage you to apply.
Women navigating the early stages of their career, having obtained their undergraduate degree within the last 15 years, or experienced professionals in the mid-career phase, having graduated between 15 to 25 years ago, are welcome to apply.
What do I need to prepare?
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Ensure a smooth submission process by collecting the following details before applying.
Personal and professional information
Contribution and impact
Vision and career highlights
- Personal details
- Education
- Extended leaves, ORCID iD, and career summary
- Details of your research team
- Key publications, funding, collaborations, and patents
- Your discoveries, solutions, and developments
- Impact of the technology
- Key career highlights
- Your vision and goals in research
- Planned use of the research prize
How will my application be assessed?
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The decision-makers, our panel of judges composed of senior experts in technology fields, will evaluate each application based on five pivotal elements.
A modest additional weighting will be awarded to entries from low and middle-income countries, applicants representing the first generation of their family to attend university, and individuals with disabilities.
Have any questions?
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Explore common queries below for answers:
I work in biotechnology, am I eligible?
Probably, yes. Most forms of biotechnology incorporate elements of scientific knowledge beyond the life sciences. Please don’t hesitate to Contact us if you require any further information.
I work part-time, am I eligible?
Full and part time employees of research institutions, including those on fixed term contracts are eligible to apply.
I own my spinout company, am I eligible?
Owners and employees of spin outs are eligible to apply.
I am a past recipient of Sony funding, am I eligible?
Yes, you are eligible to apply if you are a past replicant of Sony funding.
I am affiliated with the organizer, am I eligible?
You are not eligible if you are directors or employees (or members of their immediate families) of the Promoter and affiliates of Sony Group Corporation
I am affiliated with one of the judges, am I eligible?
You are not eligible if you have shared or are sharing or collaborated with, a laboratory or team that a member of the judging panel concurrently worked or collaborated with.
How do you define ‘early’ and ‘mid-career’?
We are defining early career as within 15 years of obtaining your undergraduate degree and mid career as between 15 and 25 years of obtaining your undergraduate degree.
Can I submit my entry via email?
No. Please submit from here.
Will I receive updates on my application status?
Unfortunately we cannot provide regular or individualised feedback.
Do I need to be nominated to apply?
No, You do not have to be nominated.
Can I nominate someone else?
You can use this link to suggest to someone else that they think about applying
Who can co-own the spinout company?
The spinout should be defined to be majority owned by a university and only co-owned by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). SMEs are defined as businesses with fewer than 250 employees, and a turnover of less than €50 million, or a balance sheet total of less than €43 million.
Do I need a PhD?
No, a PhD is not required.
Who do you consider a “colleague”?
Colleague is someone currently in your lab team, or someone who has been a lab teammate of yours in the past. The same applies to collaborators. A person who is currently working in a collaboration project with you, or has collaborated with you in the past would also be considered a colleague.
What types of content will the shortlists and winners be expected to provide or participate in?
This may include photos, videos, interviews, panel conversations, presentations, webcasts, podcasts or similar.
Where can I find more information?
Please don’t hesitate to Contact us if you require any further information.
Can I apply as many times as I want for the following year and beyond?
You may enter the programme more than once, but no more than three times in total and may not appear on the shortlist more than twice, unless you're progressing from early-career to mid-career stage.
Have more questions?
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Organized by
Sony Group Corporation is a creative entertainment company with a solid foundation of technology. Sony's Purpose is to fill the world with emotion through the power of creativity and technology.
in partnership with
Nature is dedicated to publishing outstanding advances across all areas of research and engineering. Nature is committed to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in research communication and publishing, and recognizes the pressing need to recognize and reward women for their contributions.