Women’s STEM Award 2023
Premiere
For the first time, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) in cooperation with audimax announces the Women's STEM Award. Outstanding female STEM students and graduates with innovative ideas are sought! Only 15.5% of all STEM jobs are held by women. Although, according to the MINT Autumn Report 2022, there has already been a slight increase in the proportion of women employed in STEM occupations, females are thus still severely underrepresented in these occupations. The BfV therefore attaches great importance to the promotion of young female talent in STEM professions and, together with audimax, therefore announces the Women's STEM Award. This year's award focuses on theses that deal with one of the following three topics:
Cyber Attacks and Cyber Defense
cyber security
Artificial Intelligence
Jury & Prizes
Pure know-how and competence: Your work will be evaluated by a jury of several top experts from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, whose names may not be published for reasons of confidentiality. Prize money of 3,000, 2,000 and 1,000 euros will be awarded.
Participation
The competition is open to female students and graduates of STEM subjects. All winners will receive not only prize money, but also valuable networking contacts and the opportunity to talk directly with experts from the departments of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. - All students (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology) who have submitted their German- or English-language bachelor's or master's thesis in 2022 or 2023 or who will do so in the future. Simply send your complete thesis with final grade - if already known - and your CV to Ivo Leidner, the project manager of the award. He will bundle the submissions and answer all your questions about participating: leidner@audimax.de. More information at www.women-stem-award.com. Closing date: 15.08.2023
All winners will not only receive prize money, but also valuable networking contacts and will be able to exchange ideas directly with experts from the departments of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
Partners
Das Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV) is the German domestic intelligence service. Its tasks include collecting and evaluating information on extremist and terrorist activities. In addition, the BfV is also responsible for counterintelligence. It thus makes an important contribution to Germany's internal security. In order to be able to counter the growing digital threats at the highest level, the BfV is looking for specialist personnel in the fields of mathematics, computer science, physics as well as engineering (MINT). Graduates in these fields are employed at the BfV, for example, in technical reconnaissance, cyber defense, or traditional IT. They also support the analysts in the phenomenon-specific departments, including in the areas of Islamism/Islamist terrorism and right-wing extremism/terrorism. As employees of the BfV, they also develop, for example, complex systems for optimal support of intelligence work or devote themselves to the evaluation and analysis of collected information. GPS tracking or other intelligence technology, as well as averting cyber attacks in counterintelligence, are also among the various possible fields of work for STEM graduates. For more information about career opportunities at BfV, visit: www.verfassungsschutz.de/karriere
STEM and audimax
The students' magazine audimax contains interesting articles for students, graduates and school students on the subjects of study, student life and careers.
MINT Zukunft schaffen
The shortage of skilled workers in STEM qualifications in Germany is becoming a brake on innovation and endangering the country as a business location. The initiative "MINT Zukunft schaffen" (Creating a STEM Future) has set itself the goal of strengthening STEM skills in all areas of education. To counteract the shortage of skilled workers, it brings together numerous individual initiatives on a single platform.