Supporting women in NZ science

The blockbuster movie Hidden Figures is a celebration of the previously-little-known contribution of African-American women to the success of the US space programme during the ‘Space Race’. Inspired by the stories of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, whose work enabled John Glenn’s orbit of Earth in 1962, we are fundraising to support a woman in science in New Zealand.

We will use all funds raised to create a one-off undergraduate scholarship to cover the fees for a woman studying the physical or mathematical sciences or engineering at a New Zealand tertiary education institution of their choice, from 2018.

We have already raised enough money to cover the fees for the first year of study. Now we need to finish what we started and raise enough money to cover three years of fees. The criteria for the scholarship will be developed in consultation with representatives of groups that are underrepresented in science in New Zealand, including Māori, Pasifika, and the transgender communities. Please feel free to get in touch if this is something you are able to help with! The scholarship will be administered by the Association for Women in the Sciences (AWIS).