BEIJING, June 27, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The Elsevier Foundation, TWAS and TWOWS announced today that they are recognizing twelve talented women scientists from Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean for their research excellence. The announcement was made at the Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS) 4th General Assembly and International Conference, Women Scientists in a Changing World, hosted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing from 27-30 June 2010. Each winner will receive a cash prize of US$5,000.

Through a grant from the Elsevier Foundation ( http://www.elsevierfoundation.org/) , the TWOWS Awards for Young Women Scientists were expanded to cover three disciplines in each region - Biology, Chemistry, and Physics/Maths. The grant was made as part of The Elsevier Foundation New Scholar's program, which supports programs for women scholars during the early stages of demanding careers in science and technology. After a rigorous review by the four regional TWOWS committees, shortlisted candidates in each discipline were nominated and subsequently ranked by the regional vice presidents and Kaiser Jamil, the current TWOWS president. The twelve winners include:

Region Subject Nominee Country Institution Asia Biology ZENG, Fanyi China Shanghai Institute of Medical Genetics Chemistry ORHAN, Ilkay Turkey Dept. of Pharmacognosy, Gazi University Phys/Maths MAHADEVAN, P. India S,N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences Africa Biology EKWENYE, Uchechi Nigeria Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Chemistry EZEJIOFOR, N.A. Nigeria Dept. of Pharmacology, Abia State University Teaching Hospital Phys/Maths STEENKAMP, C.M. S. Africa University of Stellenbosch Arab R. Biology ABDEL-SALAM, Ghada Egypt National Research Centre Chemistry ALSAKA, Lilyan Iraq Environmental Pollution Control Research Centre Phys/Maths ALI, Sakina F.A. Yemen Dept. of Physics, Sana'a University LAC Biology AMEZCUA-ALLIERI, Mexico Mexican Institute of M.A. Petroleum Chemistry RIVERA, Aramis Cuba Institute of Science and Technology of Materials, University of Havana Phys/Maths PELAIZ-BARRANCO, Cuba Physics Faculty, Aime University of Havana

It gives us great pleasure to announce the twelve recipients of the TWOWS Awards for Young Women Scientists, says Kaiser Jamil, President TWOWS. The recognition that this provides will undoubtedly provide an invaluable boost to the promising careers of these young women scientists. TWOWS extends a warm thanks to the Elsevier Foundation for making this possible.

The Elsevier Foundation is honored to be able to recognize and reward talented young women scientists from around the world, noted David Ruth, the Executive Director of the Elsevier Foundation. Encouraging the work of promising scientists in the developing world helps to promote wider participation and excellence in science, a key objective of the Elsevier Foundation's New Scholars program.

About TWOWS

The Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS) is an international sister organization of TWAS, The academy of sciences for the developing world. TWOWS is headed by eminent women scientists from the south, consisting of more than 3,000 members. The central role is to promote women's access to science and technology, enhancing their greater involvement in the decision-making processes for the development of their countries and in the international scientific community. Created in 1989, TWOWS' overall goal is to work towards bridging the gender gap in science and technology. TWOWS uses its forum for intellectual discussions to assist in the development of national capabilities to evolve, explore and improve strategies for increasing female participation in science.

About TWAS

TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world is an autonomous international organization, based in Trieste, Italy, that promotes scientific excellence for sustainable development in the South. Originally named Third World Academy of Sciences, it was founded in 1983 by a distinguished group of scientists from the South under the leadership of the late Nobel laureate Abdus Salam of Pakistan. The Academy's strength resides in the quality and diversity of its membership - internationally renowned scientists elected by their peers. TWAS currently has more than 900 members from 90 countries, 73 of which are developing countries. It is administered by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and financially supported by the Italian government.

About The Elsevier Foundation

The Elsevier Foundation (http://www.elsevierfoundation.org/) provides grants to institutions around the world, with a focus on support for the world's libraries and for scholars in the early stages of their careers. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than 60 grants worth millions of dollars to non-profit organizations working in these fields. In January 2010, $600,000 in grants was awarded to 12 organizations selected for their innovation and potential for impact in the developing world and academic workplace. Through gift-matching, the Foundation also supports the efforts of Elsevier employees to play a positive role in their local and global communities. The Elsevier Foundation is funded by Elsevier (http://www.elsevier.com), a leading global publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services.

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet (http://www.thelancet.com) and Cell (http://www.cell.com), and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com), Scopus (http://www.scopus.com), Reaxys (http://www.reaxys.com), MD Consult (http://www.mdconsult.com) and Nursing Consult (http://www.nursingconsult.com), which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite (http://www.scival.com ) and MEDai's Pinpoint Review (http://www.medai.com), which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.

A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier ( http://www.elsevier.com) employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC (http://www.reedelsevier.com), a world-leading publisher and information provider, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

Media Contacts: TWOWS Daniel Schaffer, Information Officer Tel: +39-040-2240 571 Email: schaffer@twas.org Web: http://www.twows.org Tasia Asakawa Tel: +39-040-2240-516 Email: asakawa@twas.org Elsevier Foundation Ylann Schemm Corporate Relations Manager Tel: +31-20-485-2025 newsroom@elsevier.com Elsevier@kaizo.net

SOURCE: The Elsevier Foundation

CONTACT: TWOWS, Daniel Schaffer, Information Officer, Tel: +39-040-2240571, Email: schaffer@twas.org; Tasia Asakawa, Tel: +39-040-2240-516, Email:asakawa@twas.org, Elsevier Foundation, Ylann Schemm, Corporate RelationsManager, Tel: +31-20-485-2025, newsroom@elsevier.com, Elsevier@kaizo.net