Events

Award Ceremony for the Laureates of the ‘Women in Science Baltic Fellowships 2026’

01 10 2026

Women in Science Baltic Fellowships are awarded by the academies of sciences and UNESCO National Commissions of the Baltic States. The aim of the joint fellowship is to support and ignite young women scientists in their pursuit of a career in science in the Baltic States. The fellowships are funded by the Ministries of Education and Research. In each Baltic country, three young women will receive the fellowships of €7,000 in recognition of their research so far and to support further research in their scientific field. The joint award ceremony for the Baltic laureates took place on Thursday, 1 October, at the Estonian Academy of Sciences in Tallinn.

President of the Estonian Academy of Sciences Mart Saarma noted that although opportunities for women in science have improved considerably over time, inequality has not disappeared. ‘Historically, women scientists have had limited access to universities, funding, publishing opportunities and leadership positions. Even today, women remain underrepresented in senior positions in several fields of research, while disparities persist in both success rates in obtaining research funding and citation rates. Underutilising the abilities of half the population narrows the pool of talented people, who are always in short supply.’

At the same time, Saarma said that substantial progress has been made in many fields. ‘This is also demonstrated by the fact that between 1901 and 2025, women received 68 Nobel Prizes, 38 of them since 2000. A large share of the Nobel Prizes awarded to women in scientific fields falls within this period. Visible women in science influence whether girls and young women see a research career as a realistic option for themselves, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, where women are less represented.’

Saarma emphasised that although many women embark on research careers, they leave them more often than men do. ‘This is why the Women in Science fellowship is particularly important: it supports the careers of women researchers and increases their visibility.’ Renno Veinthal, Deputy Secretary General at the Ministry of Education and Research, noted that although women slightly outnumber men in Estonia’s research system, men are more likely to reach senior academic positions. ‘Hopefully, these fellowships and role models will encourage women to set their sights higher and be more ambitious in progressing from researchers to leaders and decision-makers,’ Veinthal said.

Lithuanian laureates

Dr Judita Škulteckė (Vilnius Gediminas Technical University) conducts research that contributes to improving the sustainability of road infrastructure in Lithuania and Europe, focusing on the performance of bituminous binders, the durability of asphalt pavements, and the development of sustainable road infrastructure solutions. Dr Jurgita Rimkevičienė (Vilnius University) studies differences in suicide rates and the implementation of suicide prevention measures across different regions of Lithuania in order to determine which measures can most effectively help prevent suicides. Aistė Pupiūtė (Kaunas University of Technology) develops advanced medical tools for cell cultivation and in vitro modelling, focusing on their practical application and the implementation of innovations in the life sciences sector.

Estonian laureates

Anni Kasikov (University of Tartu) leads a dedicated survey of rare yellow supergiants and hypergiants using the Very Large Telescope and archival space-telescope observations. She studies their atmospheres, binary companions, and surrounding material across wavelengths from ultraviolet to infrared. By reconstructing their evolutionary histories, she aims to improve our understanding of stellar mass loss, supernova explosions, and the formation of chemical elements. Dr Liina Malva (University of Tallinn) explores how collaboration between mathematics and special education teachers can support differentiated instruction in inclusive classrooms. Her research examines students’ motivation, learning experiences, and perceptions of inclusion during a classroom intervention. She also analyses teachers’ methods, workload, and attitudes, as well as the effectiveness of differentiated instruction in improving students’ knowledge outcomes. Dr Pilleriin Peets (University of Tartu) develops advanced analytical tools to identify and understand chemicals in complex natural and biological samples. By combining complementary high-resolution mass spectrometry methods with machine learning, she aims to detect a broader range of compounds and predict their properties and structures. Her research seeks to improve sample comparison and the reproducibility of results across studies.

Latvian laureates

Dr Arta Bārdule (Latvian State Forest Research Institute ‘Silava’) studies how reducing the tillage intensity of organic matter-rich agricultural soils affects greenhouse gas emissions. Dr Vanda Haferberga (University of Latvia) studies the technologies, provenance and distribution of Early Neolithic pottery in the territory of present-day Latvia. Aļisa Ponkratenkova (Riga Technical University) develops biodegradable polymer materials from renewable resources that could replace conventional fossil-based plastics and thereby reduce plastic waste and its environmental impact.

Information from the organisers
Photos by Reti Kokk