The Hungarian Women in Science Excellence Award has recognized the work of Klára Illés, a laboratory assistant at the ELKH Centre for Agricultural Research. The Association of Hungarian Women in Science (NATE) established the prize in 2013, which is awarded annually to researchers and scientific staff who assist researchers in their work, and who have produced excellent results both domestically and internationally, and also promote engineering and science careers among younger girls who have not yet started their career. The award ceremony was held on the occasion of the International Women's Day on March 8 at the headquarters of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and was presented by Dr. Katalin Balázsi, President of NATE, Dr. Ferenc Hudecz, Vice-President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Dr. Miklós Réthelyi, chairman of the UNESCO Hungarian National Committee.
To achieve excellent research performance, you also need technicians, laboratory technicians, assistants, and professional helpers to assist with day-to-day work. That is why Klára Illés's precise work has been recognized, as she has helped researchers from the Molecular Breeding Department and the Cereal Breeding Department of the ATK Agriculture Institute in all work processes: from sowing to genetic testing, crossing programs and pathological and morphological surveys to harvesting and processing.
In the category of materials science and nanotechnology, the award winner, Dr. Edit Csapó, is a chemist, assistant professor at the University of Szeged and the head of the MTA-SZTE Lendület Noble Metal Nanostructures Research Group. She has been working on gold-containing nanostructured materials for almost 12 years.
The winner of the civil engineering category was Dr. Éva Lublóy, associate professor at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, who specializes in fire protection of reinforced concrete structures and non-destructive testing of building materials.
The recognition of Hungarian women researchers is extremely important for the Association of Hungarian Women in Science as there is a great need to increase the proportion of women working in engineering and research careers in Hungary. It is therefore important for young girls between the ages of 14 and 18 to see role models who perform excellently in their field while finding a balance between their work and family life.
Short films about the Hungarian Women in Science Excellence Award-winning researchers:
Klára Illés – Hungarian Women in Science Excellence Award for supporting research activities