Temitope Adeyemo and Ebele Onuigbo are among the winners of the 2021 Merck Foundation Africa Research Summit (MARS) Best African Women Researchers awards.
The winners were announced in a statement after a videoconference ceremony to celebrate the winners. Other winners in the category are two Kenyans, Regina Wachuka Mbugua and Beatrice Mukami Muriuki, as well as a Cameroonian, Njua Clarisse.
Thirteen winners of best African Women Researchers and Best Young African Researchers of MARS awards were honoured for their valuable research works and contribution to empowering women and youths in STEM.
Senator Dr Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and Chairperson of MARS Summit, said, “I am very proud of all the 13 winners who have been recognised under the three categories of ‘Best African Women Researchers Award’, ‘Best Young African Researcher Award’ and ‘Best Young African Researcher Special Award’ for their valuable contribution, especially by African female scientists who are under-presented in this field.”
There were three winners, including Jude Ogechukwu Ijoye of Nigeria, of the MARS Best Young African Researchers Award, while no Nigerian made the list of the winners of MARS Best Young African Researchers Special Award.
Dr Ahmed Hamdy, Executive Director, African Union – Scientific, Technical and Research Commission, who was part of the ceremony, congratulated the winners, adding that, “This is a very valuable platform for African women and young African researchers who are engaged and interested in health research.”
The winners of Best African women Researchers Award and Best Young African Researcher Award will be enrolled into research training at a premier research institute in India.
The foundation is also calling for abstracts from final year African PhD students and young investigators involved in research related to either cancer (especially in women) or vaccine development.
The applicants should be primarily based at African research institutes and universities, although collaboration within Africa, as well as outside, is encouraged.
The deadline for the submission is July, 2022.
