Supporting Women in Science in Southern Africa

Dear supporters,

Firstly, many thanks to all those who donated during the week leading up to International Women’s Day (8^th March). Due to your generosity, we are able to support more women in key fields across southern Africa.

Just a few months into the current academic year, our scholars are working hard to achieve top grades in their mid-term examinations, which take place at the end of May.

Our doctoral students continue to forge partnerships and extend the reach of their research into the wider academic community. One of our PhD candidates, who submitted her thesis for a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the end of March, has presented at three major international conferences this year, including at the University of California in San Diego where she led a seminar on her research relating to pollution levels in the Witwatersrand basin and its ecological impact.

Another doctoral student made the important discovery of five new species of crab with the help of an “Impact Award” (a small research bursary from Canon Collins Trust), and was nominated as one of the Mail & Guardian’s Top 200 Young South Africans.

The Trust feels passionately about ‘life-long learning’ and we were delighted to support one of our mature Mozambican doctoral students (aged 53) to complete her PhD in Animal Science in just four semesters (two years).

We are looking forward to seeing the progress of our aspiring scientists in the coming months, and the impact that they are having within the region.

Last year, out of nearly 2,400 applications, a staggering eighty percent were from women (see figure 1 below). There is an ever-increasing need for funding amongst southern African women, a need which we, with your invaluable contributions, are working hard to meet. 

Thank you again for your support of our work. We look forward to keeping you updated on our female scientists in southern Africa in the coming months.

Best wishes,


Fiona