To showcase the benefits of the IAEA Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme for advancing gender equality in the nuclear field, the EU Delegation in Vienna organised an event on the margins of the First Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

The IAEA Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme was launched in 2020 with the objective to encourage young women to pursue a career in the nuclear field and to work towards closing a persistent gender gap, through providing scholarships and internship opportunities facilitated by the IAEA. The EU has contributed 3 million euros to the programme and is therefore the largest donor to date.

The event was opened by Ambassador Marjolijn van Deelen, the EU Special Envoy for Non-proliferation and Disarmament, who informed of the EU policies to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment and ensured of the EU's continuous support for the IAEA’s work in this regard.

Director Aline Des Cloizeaux, from the IAEA Department of Nuclear Energy, presented the main achievements of the programme, including the awarding of a large number of scholarships to female students pursuing a Master’s degree in nuclear related subjects, organising of networking events and platforms, as well as offering a wide range of internship opportunities in the IAEA and external partner institutions. Since the launch of the initiative, over 1564 applications have been received and 360 students have been selected. The numbers reflect over 110 nationalities studying in over 65 IAEA Member States. The deadline for applications for the next period expires on 30 September 2023.

Following the presentations, former and current fellows, Ms Loretta Manu and Ms Adjoa Amponfi from Ghana, Ms Rana Ahmad Hijazi from Jordan and Ms Josephine Nkhula from Malawi, shared their experiences with the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme and assessed that it was a lifetime opportunity to kick-start their careers in the nuclear field.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish the fellows lots of success in their future endeavours and careers.

For more information on the IAEA Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme, visit the following page:

https://www.iaea.org/services/key-programmes/iaea-marie-sklodowska-curie-fellowship-programme