Winners announced for the 2025 Nature Awards for Inspiring Women in Science
Nature and The Estée Lauder Companies celebrate a Senior Lecturer pioneering AI-driven research in plant diversity and sustainable agriculture, and an NGO bringing science education to underserved youth in Pakistan.
London | New York, 16 October 2025
The Nature Awards and The Estée Lauder Companies are excited to present Sue Han Lee, a Senior Lecturer at Swinburne University of Technology, Malaysia, and WinSci Pakistan, with this year’s Scientific Achievement and Science Outreach Awards, respectively.
- Sue Han Lee is this year’s recipient of the Scientific Achievement Award, which recognises an early-career researcher who has made a demonstrable contribution to scientific discovery. Sue Han Lee has been recognised for her AI-driven research in plant diversity and sustainable agriculture, which has supported scalable digital solutions that strengthen conservation strategies, biodiversity data systems, and environmental resilience across research, agricultural innovation, policymaking and industry transformation.
- The Science Outreach Award has been awarded to WinSci Pakistan for encouraging girls and young women to engage with and study natural sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEM). WinSci Pakistan creates opportunities for disadvantaged young people, especially girls in Pakistan, to excel in science and related fields, by supporting them with STEM courses, mentorship, and scholarships.
Speaking on the awards, Magdalena Skipper, Editor in Chief of Nature, commented: “Science thrives when everyone has the opportunity to contribute. With the Nature Awards for Inspiring Women in Science, we celebrate those women researchers who are not only making impressive contributions to advancing knowledge through their discoveries or science communication. Through their work they inspire the next generations.”
Lisa Napolione, Senior Vice President, Global Research & Development, The Estée Lauder Companies remarked, “Each year, I’m inspired by the impact of the remarkable women and organizations recognized through the Nature Awards for Inspiring Women in Science. As a woman-founded organization, we are proud to champion gender equality in STEM, and through our longstanding partnership with Springer Nature, we are honoured to support initiatives that foster mentorship and continued recognition and advancement for women in science. Congratulations to this year’s winners, Sue Han Lee and WinSci Pakistan, to our runners up and to those recognized on this year’s awards shortlist!”
These awards form part of a suite of programmes, which support science communication, recognising the vital role that research plays in society. More on the awards programme can be found here.
Judging process:
Winners are selected by a judging panel consisting of editors from Nature Portfolio, academic scientists, external experts working in organisations supporting access to science for women, and our corporate partner, The Estée Lauder Companies.The award winners each receive prize money of US$50,000 to spend on initiatives relating to their work, mentoring through The Estée Lauder Companies and other publicity opportunities. Profiles of the winners have been published on the Nature Awards website.
Award Categories:
- The Scientific Achievement Award, recognising early-career women researchers that have made an exceptional contribution to scientific discovery, and may have faced significant challenges
- The Science Outreach Award is presented for initiatives that support girls or young women to engage with STEM subjects or to increase the retention of women in STEM careers.
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Hanna Berndt | Corporate Affairs | Springer Nature
hanna.berndt@springernature.com
