Recently (like earlier this week), I completed my application to the L'Oreal USA Women in Science Fellowship. Each year, L'Oreal USA gives out five awards to young investigators in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields of study. Now what sets this award apart from all the other fellowships and awards? Why do I think it deserves so much respect? The L'Oreal award is $60,000 that you can spend to pursue your own independent research idea. Now you may think that $60,000 isn't a lot of money for research, it is an incredible opportunity for a postdoc, or an "apprentice", as myself --a newcomer in the field of science -- to have that money to spend on whatever I want for MY OWN research agenda instead of that of my boss. To further iterate that the money will go solely to support the creative and innovative ideas of the awarded postdoc, L'Oreal puts a stipulation on the award that absolutely no part of the $60,000 will go to what's called in academia as "overhead fees." Most often, the university takes a big chunk out of any awarded grants or fellowships that supposedly goes to general maintenance of the infrastructure, i.e. pay electricity, water, build more buildings. The money also cannot be used towards paying health insurance and benefits, or salary (use for salary would have to be justified) as these should be the responsibility of the PI for whom the postdoc works.
The other aspect about the L'Oreal that sets it apart, and why it deserves so much respect, is what it wants to stand for. The L'Oreal USA Fellowship aims to recognize not only researchers with excellent repertoire and merit, but female researchers will serve as great role models for women of future generations. To determine this, the application requires almost just as much information about my past work in community service and how I aim to mentor young women as information about my research proposal (this ratio of 1:1 is rare to find in grant/fellowship applications). And I am quite proud of what I have achieved in the past. I was glad to finally have an opportunity to share my passion for public education with a foundation that actually cares whether or not the person they support will become a good mentor. I'll know in November if I made the 1% cut. In 6 months, I will report back. At least I am officially done with application for fellowships for now...until December when I will most likely have to revise and resubmit my application to the NIH (assuming that I will probably got get it the first time around). Joy!
