L’Oréal-UNESCO Young Talents Caribbean for Women in Science 2026

Benefits & funding

• Two endowments of US$15,000 each, awarded once a year.
• Funds go exclusively to advancing the research: advanced equipment (basic lab equipment excluded), domestic and international travel to meet experts, conference and training attendance, childcare while attending conferences, and purchase of scientific articles.
• Non-renewable, but may be combined with other donations, prizes, salary, or doctoral, post-doctoral, and research funding.
• An online “Management and Leadership” training course, plus media exposure through program events.
• Travel and accommodation for the mandatory events are covered by L’Oréal Caribe.

Eligibility

• Women only.
• Nationals of one of the 24 Caribbean countries and territories on the program list: Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Aruba, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the US Virgin Islands.
• Research must be carried out at a laboratory, research institute, or higher-education institution in one of those countries or territories.
• Three tracks: doctoral students enrolled from the second PhD year onward (first-year PhD students are not eligible); post-doctoral researchers holding a doctorate; and early-career researchers who hold a doctorate and have been staff of a research institution for less than three years.
• Research must sit within the eligible disciplines: formal sciences (mathematics, computer sciences), physical sciences (chemistry, physics), life and environmental sciences (biological sciences, medicine, health biotechnology, earth sciences, agriculture), and engineering sciences and technology (civil, electrical, mechanical, chemical and environmental engineering, materials, medical technology, nanotechnology).
• Fluency in English is mandatory, for the online training, media work, and outreach to younger generations.
• Previous beneficiaries of the program are not eligible.

Application process

1. 1
   Create an account on forwomeninscience.com and log in — applications are submitted through that platform while the call is open.
2. 2
   Prepare a CV of 1–2 pages, a motivation letter, and diplomas or certificates from the master’s degree onward in the original language.
3. 3
   Write a research summary of up to 200 words and a detailed research description of up to 2 pages (Times New Roman 12, single spaced) covering the methodology.
4. 4
   Draft an estimated budget that does not exceed US$15,000, and collect at least two letters of recommendation plus a list of your two most recent or most important publications. Work involving animal testing needs a detailed justification.
5. 5
   Submit the complete file before the deadline.

Program timeline

1. Call for applications opens

   May 19, 2026

2. Application deadline

   Aug 14, 2026

3. Final selection by the jury

   Sep 7, 2026

4. Award ceremony, held in a Caribbean country or territory or in the United States

   October 2026 (to be confirmed)