Henkel presents the Martha Schwarzkopf Award for Women in Science

Henkel, a leading manufacturer of well-known consumer and industrial brands such as Dial^® soap, Schwarzkopf^® hair care, all^® laundry detergent, and Loctite^®, Technomelt^® and Bonderite^® adhesives, sealants, and functional coatings, is proud to present its research prize, the ”Martha Schwarzkopf Award for Women in Science”, open now to eligible applicants globally.

The application period opened February 11, in celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and will run through June 1, 2024. The program is a tribute to Martha Schwarzkopf, one of the first women in Germany to lead a company and a founder of the Institute for Hair Research, which operates research and development laboratories, hair test salons, and academies of hair around the world and provides the foundation for many of the groundbreaking innovations for today’s Schwarzkopf^® hair care lines. The award commemorates Martha’s entrepreneurial and innovative spirit as well as the empathy and dedication with which she supported her fellow female scientists.  

The prize is open to female researchers with a doctorate in natural sciences, computer sciences, or medicine who have made contributions to hair research or related fields. Alongside the main prizes for life-long contribution to hair science, with a prize of 10,000 euros for first place and 5,000 euros for second place, an additional award for “Emerging Talent” with a prize of 5,000 euros will be awarded to someone who has been working in the field for less than 10 years. The three global winners will also receive a trip to the awards ceremony and accompanying scientific conference in the fall of 2024, where they will be honored guests. They will have the opportunity to connect with leading Henkel scientists with the goal of promoting mentorship and collaboration.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

The Martha Schwarzkopf Award is open to female researchers who possess a doctorate and have long-standing experience in the fields of natural sciences, computer sciences, or medicine whose field of work is in hair research or related fields, such as textile and wool fiber research, the analysis of biological surfaces, or the interaction of substances with hair or the scalp. The Emerging Talent award is open to female researchers with a completed master’s degree from the same research fields who are currently pursuing their PhD or are in their early Post Doctoral phase ‏(less than 10 years in the field).

A jury of distinguished female scientists who work in research and development for Henkel Consumer Brands R&D will evaluate the applications. The decisive factors in the evaluation of presented work will include relevance in the field of hair research, relevance for consumers and the environment, exemplification of a pioneering spirit, originality, innovation potential, quality of past projects, and overall significance of the research to the hair cosmetics sector.

How to Apply

Applicants should submit the following materials (in English) to RnD.Award@henkel.com by 11:59pm EST on June 1, 2024:

• Letter of motivation, including a personal statement detailing why the candidate is applying for and is deserving of this award
• Short curriculum vitae with a focus on the scientific field of work and interest
• List of most important publications
• Summary of the candidate’s own research in the field of hair and scalp research, fiber technologies, computer-based models for the study of fibers, including scientific methods for surface analysis, fiber structure, dye synthesis or analysis of biological processes in the hair root (all research approaches are eligible)
  • Applicants, please do not submit any research that is sensitive, confidential, or not currently publicly available
• Current Henkel employees are not eligible to apply

“Innovation in the hair care field relies on both progress in natural sciences and diversity in approaches and ideation. Women in science are still underrepresented, but at Henkel we are highly committed to equality across all disciplines. In demonstration of our commitment to empowering female scientists, we are thrilled to celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science by kicking off this year’s Martha Schwarzkopf Award for Women in Science,” says Frank Meyer, Senior Vice President, Global R&D, Henkel Consumer Brands.