Seventh edition 2025
The ScienzaSocietàScienza Association promotes activities aimed at the dissemination of scientific culture and considers the relationship between women and science one of the important issues to be pursued. Even today, in fact, gender equality, despite the goals achieved in recent years at local, national and international level, even within the scientific community, remains strongly influenced by stereotypes and women continue to be marginalized in research, science publications , and in various other fields.
In this context, the Association is announcing the seventh edition of the Donna di Scienza Award in Sardinia for 2025.
The award is organized in collaboration with the Universities of Cagliari and Sassari, the INAF-Cagliari Astronomical Observatory, the Cagliari branch of the INFN, the Cagliari branch of the CNR Institute of Neuroscience, and the Department of Public Education, Support for Study and Knowledge of the Municipality of Cagliari. The award intends to offer recognition to female figures who have contributed to giving prestige and advances to Sardinia in the scientific field.
The award is aimed at women born or working in Sardinia or for Sardinia, and who have carried out activities in the field of scientific research, science teaching, dissemination of scientific culture, including through the use of the media.
Furthermore, as part of the Donna di Scienza Award,
– The ScienzaSocietàScienza Association also offers the “Donna di Scienza in Schools Award,” for teachers working in Sardinia’s primary and secondary schools who have distinguished themselves in science teaching and the dissemination of scientific culture;
– The Department of Public Education, Support for Study and Knowledge of the City of Cagliari offers the “Young Donna di Scienza Award,” for candidates from Cagliari participating in the Award.
It is possible that other recognitions may be awarded to candidates meeting certain requirements. In particular, the jury reserves the right to award a Special Prize out of competition aimed at women who, starting from a scientific background, have particularly distinguished themselves in academic careers, scientific entrepreneurship, in public life. The jury reserves the right to award, even in the absence of nominations, a maximum of two special mentions to female figures who have achieved significant results in the scientific, technological, or educational fields.
Nominations may be submitted by the person interested in receiving the award or, within their area of expertise and provided they are not members of the jury, by third parties such as the president of the ScienzaSocietàScienza Association, the directors of the university departments of Cagliari and Sassari, the directors of the INFN Cagliari section, of INAF-OAC, and of the CNR institutes with offices in Sardinia; the head teachers of Sardinian schools; the regional representatives for the Sardinia Region of associations of science teachers, such as A.I.F., A.N.I.S.N., C.R.S.E.M., the Teaching Division of the S.C.I., the coordinator of Gi.U.Li.A. Giornaliste Sardegna, and the winners of previous editions.
Applications must be received by 12 noon on 15 July 2025 by email to the address: premiodonnascienza@scienzasocietascienza.it indicating in the subject “Donna di Scienza Award – Name and Surname of the candidate”.
The application or proposal for admission to the competition must be made electronically using the appropriate downloadable form attached to the announcement signed by the applicant or competitor. Each bidder (or proposer) must attach to the request, again electronically and preferably in a single file in pdf format:
Any delay in submitting the application and related documentation, whatever the cause, will result in the applicant’s inadmissibility to the competition. Applications without the required documentation will not be considered.
Applications submitted by the deadline indicated in this announcement are valid for two years and may therefore also be considered for the 2026 edition of the award.
The selection of candidates is based on the unquestionable judgment of a specially appointed jury.
The jury is chaired by a member of the ScienzaSocietàScienza Association, appointed by the Association’s Board of Directors, and is composed of representatives of the Universities of Cagliari and Sassari, media and educational figures, and representatives of public research institutions.
The jury will take into account the following evaluation criteria:
The Young Donna di Scienza Award will be awarded to the most deserving of the youngest female researchers in Cagliari by birth, residence, or place of work. The assessment of merit will be made within the framework of the criteria established above.
The Donna di Scienza in Schools Award will be given to the best candidate teacher who, subject to the previous criteria, exhibits the following characteristics: attention to innovative and orienting teaching methodologies, participation in activities promoting scientific disciplines, and collaboration on projects of national and international importance.
Any other awards will also be given to the most deserving candidates within the above-mentioned criteria and meeting the required criteria.
Jury members may not be directly related to the candidates. Upon taking office, each juror will issue a specific statement on their position towards the candidates.
The winner of the Donna di Scienza Award will receive a cash prize of €1,500, before tax, and a commemorative certificate from the ScienzaSocietàScienza Association.
The winner of the Young Donna di Scienza Award will receive a cash prize of €1,000, before tax, from the Municipality of Cagliari, along with a commemorative certificate.
The winner of the Donna di Scienza in Schools Award will receive a cash prize of €1,000, before tax, and a commemorative certificate from the ScienzaSocietàScienza Association.
The winners of any other prizes will receive, from the organization that proposes it, a prize that is not currently quantifiable, and a commemorative parchment.
The jury’s special prize will consist of a commemorative plaque and a parchment.
The recipients of the special mention will receive a commemorative parchment.
Prizes are not cumulative.
The prizes will be awarded in person to the winners during the ceremony to be held during the 18th edition of the Cagliari FestivalScienza event in Cagliari from 6 to 11 November 2025. If due to force majeure the award ceremony should take place virtually or the winner cannot attend in person, she will have to connect by videoconference.
All information relating to the event can be found on the website www.festivalscienzacagliari.it premiodonnascienza@scienzasocietascienza.it
Each participant grants the Award organizers, for promotional purposes of the event, the rights to use images on media, multimedia channels, social media pages, websites, and other forms of communication available to the organization.
The winners agree to attend the awards ceremony.
Participation in the prize implies knowledge and total acceptance of the notice.
We hereby inform you that data processing will be carried out in compliance with the provisions of EU Regulation 2016/679, Article 13, and the resulting rights and obligations.
The candidates’ personal data will be used by the award organizers solely for purposes related to the award. This means that they may also be processed electronically, but they may not be disclosed to third parties without the interested party’s explicit consent.
The data controller is the ScienzaSocietàScienza Association, based in Cagliari – Via Alghero 37 09127 – tel. 0707967749 – e-mail: presidenza@scienzasocietascienza.it
The double challenge: being a female scientist and being a scientist woman.
The call for applications for the 2024 DONNA DI SCIENZA Award, VI Edition is online.
[Ihithe, 1940 – Nairobi, 2011] Kenyan environmentalist and activist. In 2004 she was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. She was a Kenyan parliamentarian and Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources in the government of President Mwai Kibaki, between January 2003 and November 2005.
A training course for journalists dedicated to scientific fake news as an appendix of the Cagliari FestivalScienza and on the occasion of the awarding of
