NEW YORK, NY - August 20, 2007 - L'Oreal USA announced today the start of the application period for its esteemed L'Oreal USA Fellowships For Women in Science program. Now in its fifth year, this national program aims to annually recognize, reward and support five women postdoctoral researchers in the U.S. who are pursuing careers in the life and physical/material sciences, as well as mathematics, engineering and computer science. As part of its commitment to further help women scientists achieve their goals, L'Oreal USA awards each recipient $40,000 to apply toward their postdoctoral research.

Since its inception in 2003, the L'Oreal USA Fellowships For Women in Science program has awarded 20 fellowships to women scientists across the U.S. Each year, the program has attracted a number of talented applicants from diverse scientific fields, representing some of the nation's leading academic institutions and laboratories. A distinguished jury of nine eminent scientists - presided over by Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone, President, National Academy of Sciences - reviews the applications, and selects the L'Oreal USA Fellowships For Women in Science recipients.

The five beneficiaries of the 2008 L'Oreal USA Fellowships For Women in Science will be invited to attend a week of events in New York City that include an awards ceremony, professional development workshops, media training and networking opportunities. In 2008 these workshops, which are facilitated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), will encompass job search techniques, interviewing skills, budget development for grant requests and strategies for peer reviewed publication.

The L'Oreal USA Fellowships For Women in Science program is open to women postdoctoral researchers only. Candidates interested in applying may visit the L'Oreal USA Fellowships For Women in Science web site at http://www.lorealusa.com/forwomeninscience, to obtain more information about program eligibility and requirements. All applications must be post marked by October 31, 2007.

The L'Oreal USA Fellowships For Women in Science complement the international L'OREAL-UNESCO For Women in Science program -- which annually awards $100,000 each to five leading women career scientists, one each from Europe, Asia, North America, South America and Africa - and the UNESCO-L'OREAL International Fellowships, which annually grant, over a two year period, $40,000 each to 15 promising young women scientists, at doctoral or postdoctoral level, from around the globe.

The L'Oreal USA Fellowships For Women in Science program, and its aim to advance the careers of women postdoctoral researchers in the U.S., is especially relevant in light of America's waning competitiveness in the global marketplace. There is an urgent need to increase both the funding for basic science research in the U.S., and also the number of students, particularly girls and young women, majoring in science, mathematics and engineering.

Earlier this year, L'Oreal USA commissioned a national survey of adults and teens across the United States to determine perceptions of science in America. According to the findings, while 84% of adults surveyed view the role of science and scientists as critically important to world progress, nearly one third said they did not know a single female scientist -- including physicians -- on a personal level, and 73% admitted there are "too few" female role models in the sciences to encourage teens to be interested in the field. As a consequence, nearly 40% of all teens surveyed said they were "not at all likely" to pursue a scientific career.

L'Oreal understands the need to attract more women to science. In developing programs such as the L'Oreal USA Fellowships For Women in Science, L'Oreal hopes to support today's women scientists, to develop female role models for generations to come, and to help shape the public's perception of science in a positive light, particularly among young women.

For more information, please visit: http://www.lorealusa.com/forwomeninscience

ABOUT L'OREAL

A worldwide leader in the cosmetics industry, L'Oreal develops innovative products to meet the diverse needs of customers in 130 countries worldwide. Nearly 3,000 people work in the Group's 16 research centers, located in France, Asia and America. Their findings are responsible for the registration of hundreds of patents annually. Women represent 55% of the research workforce - a percentage unmatched anywhere else in the industry. www.loreal.com

ABOUT AAAS

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world's largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal, Science (www.sciencemag.org). AAAS was founded in 1848, and includes some 262 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated total readership of one million. The non-profit AAAS (www.aaas.org) is open to all and fulfills its mission to "advance science and serve society" through initiatives in science policy; international programs; science education; and more. For the latest research news, log onto EurekAlert!, www.eurekalert.org, the premier science-news web site, a service of AAAS.

ABOUT UNESCO

Since its creation in 1945, UNESCO has been dedicated to eliminating all forms of discrimination and promoting equality between men and women. While designing scientific education programs intended especially for young women, UNESCO has created several academic chairs that connect women of science around the world. With 191 Member States, UNESCO functions as a laboratory of ideas and a standard-setter to forge universal agreements on emerging ethical issues. UNESCO works to create the conditions for true dialogue, based upon respect for commonly shared values and the dignity of each culture. www.unesco.org

L'Oreal

L'Oreal

A worldwide leader in the cosmetics industry, L'Oréal develops innovative products to meet the diverse needs of customers in 130 countries worldwide. Over 3,000 people work in the Group's 14 research centers, located in France, Asia and America. Their findings are responsible for the registration of hundreds of patents annually. Women represent 55% of the research workforce - a percentage unmatched anywhere else in the industry. www.loreal.com

 

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