DEWIS Award

Introduction

DEWIS (Delft Women in Science) is the women’s network for scientists at the TU Delft and our mission is to help the university to attract more women in academic positions and to contribute to an inclusive, safe environment that makes these women want to stay, while giving them the opportunity to grow and flourish in their academic careers.

Since 2007, DEWIS handed out a yearly DEWIS-award for very talented female PhD students. The aim of the DEWIS-award changed, to make it more in line with what DEWIS stands for.  A DEWIS Award has been given since 2020 for a recognition of an individual or a group that has made an extraordinary contribution to realising an inclusive work environment and to increasing gender equity and gender diversity at TU Delft.

The award contributes to increasing awareness about gender-related barriers of female scientists, while inspiring the TUD community on the importance of gender diversity  and becoming more and more inclusive.

Following you can find the procedure for the nomination and selection of candidates for the DEWIS award. 

Procedure

Members of the TU Delft community can nominate individuals for their work towards inclusive and gender diverse work environments. The DEWIS Award selection team identifies contributions that are inspiring and exceptionally motivating. This can be in the areas of teaching, research, programs, services, and community outreach.

The procedure of application is as follows: the nomination, in a single PDF file, can be submitted by mail to award-dewis@tudelft.nl (link sends e-mail) and should include:

1. A letter of nomination from any TU Delft staff member, paying particular attention to how the nominee's activities reflect one or more of the criteria noted below, in no more than one or two single-spaced page(s).
2. Short curriculum vitae or historical background of the nominee.

Nominations are due 1 November 2023.

Criteria for selection

A nominee for the DEWIS Award is an individual of any gender that meets one or multiple of the following criteria:

a)    Significantly promote gender diversity, equity and inclusion and competency developments among TU Delft-employed faculty and support staff members;

b)    Successfully address gender diversity, equity and inclusion in key areas such as recruitment and selection, education, retention, campus/department climate, research, networking or field work;

c)    Lead initiatives that capture outcomes of increased awareness, visibility, understanding or promoting gender diversity and equity at TU Delft;

d)    Champion gender diversity, equity and inclusion through leadership, new policies and/or through research;

e)    Implement steps towards fostering a gender diverse workplace and inclusive workplace relationships

f)    Showcase behaviours and programs that maximize the potential of all people;

g)    Improve competency through best practices that stimulate inclusion;

h)    Cause impact and act as role model and inspiration for different audiences, including different age groups and career stages.

Selection committee

The selection committee consists of all DEWIS Board Members, a Faculty Diversity Officer and the Vice-Rector Magnificus. The DEWIS coordinator will support the committee by handling the communication and dealing with the applications. The Vice-Rector Magnificus of the TU Delft hands out the award to the winner during the yearly DEWIS Symposium.

Prize

Individual winners will receive a reward of 1000 euro. The 1000 euro will be placed into a departmental account to be used at the discretion of the recipient and for increasing gender diversity, equity and inclusion at the department.