Else-Ragnhild Neumann Award for Women in Geosciences

The Else-Ragnhild Neumann Award

The award will be conferred to a woman that has impacted the field of Geosciences in a major way based on her Ph.D. and Postdoctoral research.

The award consists of a diploma and an honorarium of NOK 50,000.

The award is named after Else-Ragnhild Neumann, Norway’s first female professor of geology. It was first presented at the Else-Ragnhild Neumann Symposium, held to mark the 80th anniversary of her birth, on 7 December 2018.

Requirements for nomination

The nominee should reside in Norway at the time of nomination. Women are eligible for the first 7 years following their degree, except in the case of significant interruptions to a research career.

Call for nominations 2026

Do you know a young female scientist within geosciences who deserves recognition? Nominations are now open for the 2026 Else-Ragnhild Neumann Award. More information about the nomination criteria and process is provided below.

Nominations of candidates, deadline is 5. October 2026 (pdf).

About the award

The Else-Ragnhild Neumann Award honours the scientific contributions of Professor Else-Ragnhild Neumann. In 1981, she became Norway’s first female professor of geosciences. Read more about her life and work (in Norwegian): Et forskerliv i stein og vulkaner.

Neumann worked with the University of Oslo and are still active and publish about volcanism and links to mantle processes. She has studied the Oslo region, the Canary Islands and other volcanic islands, the Siberian Traps and other areas that experienced significant magmatism.

Facts

The Else-Ragnhild Neumann Award for Women in Geosciences recognises women who have made a significant contribution to geosciences in their PhD or postdoctoral research.

Else-Ragnhild Neumann was Norway’s first female professor of geology. Established in 2018, the award is named in her honour.

The 2025 award  

For 2025, the E-R. Neumann Award for Women in Geosciences had one winner:

Prize winner Gabrielle Emma Kleber: for her extraordinarily talent and dedication as scientist. She has published 6 papers, 4 of them as 1st author, with one in Nature Geoscience. She seems to be an inquisitive scientist, heavily involved in field campaigns, but also in teaching and outreach. The award committee also acknowledges her previous experience as a trained engineer, and her activity in the Circumnavigators Club Foundation.

See also: Presentation and the nomination of the award winner.

Award Laureates 2018-2024

• The 2024 award  

For 2024, the E-R. Neumann Award for Women in Geosciences had one winner:

Prize winner Joanna Dziadkowiec: for her impressive academic track-record, the scientific quality of her papers and her capacity in getting external funding. The award committee highlight that she has published 12 articles, with 10 as the lead author (8 as the first author and 2 as the corresponding author), in top journals in mineralogy and chemistry. Two of her first-authored articles are cited more than 50 times.

See also: Presentation and the nomination of the award winner.

-----

• The 2023 award  

For 2023, the E-R. Neumann Award for Women in Geosciences had one winner:

Prize winner Sofia Elisabeth Kjellman: for her achievements in the field of geoscience. She has a total of 11 published papers, 3 of these as a first author. She is highly active in organizing workshops and other activities, showcasing her dedication and involvement in geosciences. In addition she is involved in science communication, emphasised by the award committee.

See also: Presentation and the nomination of the award winner.

-----

• The 2022 award 

For 2022, the E-R. Neumann Award for Women in Geosciences had one winner, who was recognized at a CEED-symposium and conference, Oslo-Copenhagen, 7.12.2022:

Prize winner Jessica Ann McBeck: has a most impressive publication record, and her combination of using numerical modelling, laboratory experiments and utilisation of field data to get better forecasting of earthquakes is most interesting. It is obvious that her Ph.D. and postdoctoral research has impacted the field of geosciences in a major way.

See also: Presentation and the nomination of the award winner.

-----

• The 2021 award 

For 2021, the E-R. Neumann Award for Women in Geosciences had one winner. She was recognized at the conference "Ups and Downs on Planet Earth", organized by CEED at Voksenåsen, Oslo, 2.12.2021:

Prize winner Louise Mary Vick: has received national and international recognition within the field of geohazards and engineering geology. Her work is innovative and highly relevant to advance the understanding of the behavior of unstable mountain slopes in a changing climate. 

See also: Presentation and the nomination of the award winner.

-----

• The 2020 award

The E-R. Neumann Award for Women in Geosciences for 2020 had one winner. She was recognised at an digital event at Department of Geosciences, Blindern, Oslo, 18.12.2020:

Prize winner Ágnes Király: has outstanding results already obtained and on an important topic, with important implications in Geodynamics. She has a very good publication record and has given several invited lectures. The candidate is very promising young scientist.

See also: Presentation and the nomination of the award winner.

-----

• The 2019 award

For 2019, the E-R. Neumann Award for Women in Geosciences had one winner, and she was recognised at a special event in Toppsenteret, Forskningsparken in Oslo, 22.11.2019:

Prize winner Andreia Plaza-Faverola: the award committee concluded the research outcome of Andreia Plaza-Faverola deserves recognition due to its originality, high quality and impact. Her research in marine geophysics is original as she links gas emission occurrences in Arctic marine environment with the effects of glaciation/deglaciation and changes in tectonic stress.

See also: Presentation and the nomination of the award winner.

-----

• The 2018 award

The E-R. Neumann Award for Women in Geosciences for 2018 had two winners, and they were recognised at the special symposium for Else-Ragnhild Neumann 80st anniversary on 7.12.2018:

Prize winner Anja Røyne deserved recognition for her investigations of mineral growth in porous media, fluid and hydration and crystal growth that provides a very interesting contribution to the poorly known nano- and micro-scale processes.

Prize winner Grace E. Shephard: always make original, rigorous and very robust quantitative contribution on mantle dynamics. The analysis provides fundamental contribution on understanding the link between shallow surface process and deep mantle dynamics.

Celebrating Women in Geosciences

The Else-Ragnhild Neumann Award for Women in Geosciences has been presented annually since 2018. It is awarded by the Centre for Planetary Habitability (PHAB) at the University of Oslo, in collaboration with the Department of Geosciences.