JAKARTA, 13 October 2021 – In partnership with the U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Underwriters Laboratories, the ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology, and Innovation (COSTI) is proud to announce the 2021 Underwriters Laboratories-ASEAN-U.S. Science Prize for Women winners: Dr. Neni Sintawardani from Indonesia and Dr. Li Hongying from Singapore.
Dr. Neni Sintawardani, a long dedicated Senior Scientist and lead researcher on the Clean Technology team at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, was honored for her work in improving community sanitation systems using biogas from processed wastewater to increase clean water availability. She received an award of $15,000 in the senior scientist category.
Clinching top honors as a mid-career scientist, Dr. Li Hongying, a Research Scientist at the Institute of High-Performance Computing, Agency for Science, Technology and Research in Singapore, was honored for designing an internationally recognised ballast water treatment system to protect marine life from water pollution. She was also recognised for her groundbreaking work in predicting airborne droplet dispersal rates to estimate the transmission risks of the COVID-19 virus. She was awarded $10,000 competing as a mid-career scientist.
Professor Seinn Lei Aye from Myanmar and Professor Aduwati Sali from Malaysia earned honorable mentions for their respective work in developing low cost, efficient water treatment technologies for rural communities, and peatland monitoring and management research, catalysing community-based technical and social innovations to help mitigate and prevent haze pollution in the region.
The four finalists were selected from a pool of 14 short-listed candidates representing the brightest women scientists working in the field of Clean Water and Clean Air across the region. They presented their research to a virtual panel of judges.
ASEAN COSTI Chair, Prof. Sirirurg Songsivilai, congratulated all award recipients for their research to improve access to clean water and clean air across the ASEAN region. “This competition continues to uphold the tradition of showcasing talented ASEAN women in science, technology and innovation fields and continues to inspire the next generation of women scientists leveraging research to benefit the region and beyond.”
“Congratulations to all the competition winners for their work toward achieving safer water and air for millions of people,” said Dr. Marilyn Black, VP & Senior Technical Advisor at Underwriters Laboratories. “We believe that protecting our natural resources and providing clean air and water are critical for a healthier and more secure future for all. These award recipients are addressing emerging environmental and public health threats and we are proud to support the ASEAN-U.S. science prize and its recognition of female scientists for their outstanding contributions.”
“Together with ASEAN COSTI and Underwriters Laboratories, the United States congratulates the winners and runner-up honorees for their ambitious research achievements,” said Steven Weston , Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. of the U.S. Mission to ASEAN. “The remarkable work of these scientists to address air pollution and access to safe water and sanitation help improve living conditions and environmental stability in the region while promoting solutions, led by women scientists, to bolster economic growth.”
The Science Prize for Women is organised through a partnership among ASEAN COSTI, USAID, and Underwriters Laboratories – a U.S.-based international public safety nonprofit organization – to recognise female scientists’ professional achievements and leverage their success to expand research endeavors as well as inspire future women scientists across the ASEAN region.
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For additional information, contact USAID/ASEAN Communications Specialist, Samara Sanders at: jakartausaidasean@usaid.gov.
Detailed information on each national finalist can be found at: http://scienceprize4women.asean.org.
