Paula Kantor Award

The 2023 nomination cycle is now closed.

The deadline for nominations was 11:59 p.m. EDT, Sunday, April 16, 2023

Eligibility

    • The award is open to women researchers under the age of 40 who are citizens of countries located in a low- or middle-income country;
    • The research or body of work may be conducted in any country, including the United States, but must take place in low-income or otherwise marginalized communities, with a primary focus on gender equity and women’s and girls’ empowerment;
    • Social science research should contribute to filling gaps in evidence, which are important to understanding the best solutions for improving the lives of women, girls, and other marginalized populations. The research methodology may utilize quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods;
    • The outcomes of the research should have been shared with the research community, and/or with relevant stakeholders with respect to the nominees’ work.
    • Findings should have been disseminated through relevant reports, peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, multi-media campaigns, or similar communications channels. Co-authored publications or joint dissemination activities are also permissible.
    • Research that is being undertaken as part of an advanced degree requirement is not eligible. For research of this nature, please see ICRW’s Mariam K. Chamberlain Dissertation Award.

 

Deadline & Award Process

    • The deadline for nominations is 11:59 p.m. EST, Sunday, April 2nd, 2023.   
    • Nominators should complete the nomination form and submit the additionally required documentation by the April 2nd deadline.  
    • The award committee will evaluate the nominees and their work and select the winner, who will be notified, and whose name will be announced on this webpage along with a short abstract of their work. We hope to notify the award winner in early May 2023.   
    • For more information about the Paula Kantor Award, please contact [email protected]. 

 

Guidelines for Nominations

    • Nominations must be made by a third party. Researchers cannot nominate themselves;
    • The professional work for which a nominee is being nominated must be based primarily in a low-income or otherwise marginalized community;
    • For nominations to be considered, the nomination form and the questionnaire highlighting the nominee’s contributions and why they’re deserving of the award must be fully completed.
    • Responses on the questionnaire should be focused and succinct and document the impact and relevance of the nominee’s contributions. A curriculum vitae and biography must also be included in the nomination submission.

 

Evaluation Criteria

The selection committee will evaluate submissions based on the following:

    • The nominee’s use of a robust research methodology following ethical protocols for conducting research;
    • The nominee’s use of innovative practices within the program’s activities and their implementation, and measures to ensure sustainability;
    • A strong gender-focused conceptualization of research/body of work, with appropriate and relevant data-gathering techniques, analysis, and interpretations. This exercise may or may not be linked to specific programs or evaluations.

 

Selection Committee

The nominees will be evaluated by an initial screening panel appointed by ICRW and the nominees who pass this screening will be shortlisted for evaluation by an independent selection committee of development practitioners, academics and researchers, business professionals, policy experts, and civil society leaders with deep knowledge of the field of gender and international development.

Nominate a young woman researcher today

Nominate

Past Paula Kantor Award Recipients

Dr. Carolina de Vargas Nunes Coll I 2023

Dr. Carolina de Vargas Nunes Coll I 2023

Dr. Carolina de Vargas Nunes Coll is a research fellow with Wellcome Trust, the International Center for Equity in Health and the Human Development and Violence Research Centre at the Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil. She completed her PhD in Epidemiology and Master's in Science at the Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil and a doctoral fellowship at the University of Oxford (UK) in the Psychiatry Department. Her research focuses on the intersection of violence against women and girls and health inequality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and examines the intergenerational effects of violence against women across the life cycle, including the effects on maternal and child outcomes.

Read more

Dr. Wunpini Fatimata Mohammed | 2022

Dr. Wunpini Fatimata Mohammed | 2022

Dr. Wunpini Fatimata Mohammed is assistant professor of global media at the University of Georgia. Born and raised in Tamale, Ghana, Dr. Mohammed completed her PhD in Mass Communications with a minor in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies and an African Studies concentration at the Bellisario College of Communications at Pennsylvania State University. Her research examines the way that the lived experience of marginalized people are shaped by and represented in media, as well as how media can be used as a tool of resistance in the face of imperialism and colonization.

Read more

Dr. Farhana Rahman | 2021

Dr. Farhana Rahman | 2021

Dr. Farhana Rahman is a fellow at the Harvard University Asia Center and the co-founder of Silkpath Relief Organization. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge, Centre for Gender Studies. She also works as a consultant providing technical expertise and trainings for international projects with organizations such as UN Women, UNDP, USAID and others. Originally from Bangladesh, Dr. Rahman has extensive experience researching the gendered effects of forced migration, gender-based violence in (post-)conflict situations, and the innovative coping mechanisms employed by marginalized women as a means of self-empowerment.

Read more

Dr. Jabulile Mavuso | 2020

Dr. Jabulile Mavuso | 2020

Dr. Mavuso is Research Associate for the Critical Studies in Sexualities and Reproduction research program at Rhodes University, South Africa, where she obtained her PhD in Psychology. She is also a member of the Sexual and Reproductive Justice Coalition. A feminist, her activism centers on sexual and reproductive freedom and justice, and she encompasses her research and teaching interests in gender, race, sexualities and reproduction.

Read more

Dr. Otibho Obianwu | 2019

Dr. Otibho Obianwu | 2019

Dr. Otibho Obianwu is one of two winners of the 2019 Paula Kantor Award. Otibho is a Program Manager at the Population Council, Nigeria, where she designs and conducts research studies on female genital mutilation/cutting(FGM/C) and serves as the Nigeria focal point for the Evidence to End FGM/C programme consortium. She also has experience implementing HIV prevention programs targeted at men who have sex with men and persons who use drugs in Nigeria.

Read more

Dr. Jocelyn Kelly | 2019

Dr. Jocelyn Kelly | 2019

Dr. Jocelyn Kelly is one of two winners of the 2019 Paula Kantor Award. Jocelyn is the Director for Harvard Humanitarian Initiative’s (HHI) Women in War program, where she designs and implements projects to examine issues relating to gender, peace and security in fragile states. Her work focuses on understanding and preventing gender-based violence (GBV) and human trafficking in complex crises, with an emphasis on specially examining mechanisms for social cohesion and resilience.

Read more

Dr. Gracia Violeta Ross Quiroga | 2017

Dr. Gracia Violeta Ross Quiroga | 2017

Gracia Violeta Ross Quiroga won the 2017 Paula Kantor Award. Violeta shares Paula’s dedication to gender equality and to promoting women’s health and rights. She is a prolific activist who has already made numerous outstanding achievements, is a powerful advocate for ending gender-based violence and a recognized global leader in the HIV movement.

Read more

Dr. Eunice Muthengi | 2016

Dr. Eunice Muthengi | 2016

Eunice Muthengi was the 2016 award winner. Muthengi is a researcher with the Population Council in Kenya, leading investigations into effective strategies to improve the reproductive health, education and economic potential of adolescent girls.

Read more

Dr. Soumya Gupta | 2015

Dr. Soumya Gupta | 2015

Soumya Gupta was the inaugural Paula Kantor Award winner. On January 20, ICRW awarded Soumya Gupta with the inaugural Paula Kantor Award for Excellence in Field Research, which honors the work of an up-and-coming research focused on alleviating gender inequality. Gupta’s work focuses on the linkages between agriculture systems and women’s empowerment and in turn, how these affect nutritional outcomes.

Read more

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

If you have additional questions, comments, or concerns contact our awards team at [email protected].