Vera Šnajder’s life was transformed through access to education and international mobility which allowed her to learn from the best. Her fellowship at the Institute Henri Poincaré gave her the chance to push her intellectual limits and explore her potential as a researcher and professional. She took full advantage of this opportunity. She quickly secured a research position at the Laboratory for Hydrodynamics at the Sorbonne, published her work in Comptes Rendus des Sciences de l’Acadèmie des Sciences and was even headhunted for a position at the newly formed French Ministry of Aeronautics (Ministère de l’Air).

The most remarkable aspect of Vera’s story is that this truly life-changing experience (the chance to travel and mingle with the intellectual elite in Paris) culminated with Vera returning to her homeland and investing her new experiences into education, a cornerstone of a modern and prosperous society. Put bluntly, Vera recognised very early on the importance of “giving back” to the community she felt she belonged to.

The Vera Šnajder Award will enable an early career researcher from Bosnia and Herzegovina, who like Vera is passionate about the relationship between a personal quest for knowledge and its collective societal advancement, to:

1) become a global citizen;

2) bring home new knowledge and perspectives and incorporate them into the advancement of our nation and society;

3) bring home new cultural experiences to strengthen the multicultural and multi-ethnic foundations of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

• Are you someone who serves as a role model and demonstrates initiative, passion, and motivation?

• Are you an individual who portrays strong leadership characteristics in professional, career/studies and/or community?

• Do you engage with the community in meaningful ways to raise awareness of issues and create long lasting change.

• Do you want to be part of Vera’s legacy and inspire others to become better leaders/professionals and in the process create a better Bosnia & Herzegovina?

Person eligible for the Vera Snajder award is:

• a full time female undergraduate/Master/PhD student enrolled in Natural & Technical Sciences related field in Bosnia & Herzegovina (engineering, mathematics, physics, chemistry etc) OR a recent graduate from a Bosnia & Herzegovina university (last 12 months).

• a citizen of Bosnia & Herzegovina

• have demonstrated community service in Bosnia & Herzegovina

• involved in a paper/research-project that can be presented at a conference/workshop OR be able to demonstrate capability to disseminate key learning from conference/workshop in Bosnia & Herzegovina

  Note: Bosnia & Herzegovina student living or studying abroad is not eligible for the award.

The total grant will be funded by the Bosnia and Herzegovina Futures Foundation. The total value of the grant will be up to 6.000 BAM for two students.

The winner will be able to use the grant to finance travel and conference/visit expenses, namely:

a) present their current research, as an invited presenter (an oral presentation or a poster presentation) at an international conference OR

b) attend a international conference as a delegate with the aim of disseminating the acquired knowledge in Bosnia and Herzegovina through a successful implementation of a project or program OR

c) co-finances the costs of a research visit abroad.

The grant does cover Visa, insurance, health and safety, but the grant recipients must arrange their own health and personal travel insurance and appropriate visas, including ensuring that they take account of health and travel warnings in the country of travel.

The grant does not cover Recreational Travel, but the grant recipients may prolong their stay in the country of travel to include recreational travel at their own expense.

Reporting requirements

Grant recipients will be required to provide a brief reflective report prior, during and upon their return from travel, describing the work they are undertaking. This may include, written, audio and video platforms.

The selection panel reserves the right to change any variations on the maximum amount and will be reviewed on a needs basis. Applicants will need to provide a budget to indicate the cost of the travel. It is the expectation of the selection panel that any gap in funding from the amount requested and the travel grant contribution will be met by the applicant.

As part of the application process you need to:

1. Fill out an application form that includes basic information about you and your travel,

2. Attach a motivational letter,

3. Attach the budget proposal,

4. Attach a letter of recommendation

Below, read additional tips and instructions regarding the parts of the application. Read them carefully before applying.

How could your attendance at the conference improve your research? Although this may be clear to you, it is important to be able to convey it to an audience that a) does not know you personally and b) is not significantly familiar with the topic of your research.

It is necessary to specify:

1. Why are you applying for this award - This section shouldn't just be about you. Each award/grant/scholarship is set up with a specific purpose and idea. Read the information about Vera Schneider, then think about the things that seem interesting to you. Do you share her values? Is there anything about her career that inspires you? This part of the application is an opportunity to communicate why and how your research will help shape Vera's legacy. Think about how you can help carry the torch she lit years ago.

2. Participation goals and expected results - We will accept the following types of results:

• Maybe you want to publish your work and present it at a conference. In this case, you are asked to make a summary of how you want to achieve this, including the target journal, audience, deadlines, etc.

• If you are planning to work on a project, and you see attending the conference as an opportunity to realize your planned ideas, explain what you expect from participating in the conference? What specific knowledge, skills or contacts do you want to acquire and how do you believe they will help you solve the challenges you face in your project?

• If you plan to work on a project outside B&H, explain what you expect from participating in that project? What specific knowledge, skills or contacts do you want to acquire and how do you believe they will help you in further research work?

Letters of recommendation describe your professional side and generally give an insight into your:

• personal characteristics, achievements, experience

• abilities, possibilities, career potential

The letter of recommendation should be one page long and consist of three parts:

1. Introduction: How long and in what capacity they have known you (e.g. student, teaching/research assistant, thesis supervisor, professional colleague, by reputation only)?; How they rate you relative to your peers (e.g. top 1-2%, top 5-10%, top 25%, upper half)?

2. Main part: Your skills as a researcher (eg technical skills, innovative thinking); the strengths of your research proposal/project and how your qualifications and skills fit into your research proposal/project as well as your ability to work independently and in a team.

3. Conclusion: Briefly summarize your overall assessment and clearly state that you are recommended for the award.

• Choose someone who knows you best and is willing to invest the time to write a letter for you.

• Ask on time. Remember that they are busy and doing you a favor.

• Give them access to all the relevant materials so they understand the context. If you do it right and on time, they will be more likely to support you because they will understand that it is a mutual relationship.

• Do not lose contact with the person who recommends you. See point 2.

Be sure to provide all the necessary information:

• Title of the conference/research project

• Organizational body/institution

• The place of event

• The dates

• Website

• Title of your work/contribution (if applicable)

• Also indicate whether you have received confirmation that your work/contribution has been accepted (if applicable)

The Vera Šnajder Award is a grant in the amount of a maximum of 6.000 KM. It is intended to support your travel and participation in a conference/study visit that you would not be able to attend without this financial support.

As part of the support, it is necessary to draw up a reasonably well-thought-out budget. Research the costs associated with your trip before submitting your budget.

The budget should include return flights, accommodation, food, local transport, insurance and visa, among others.

You can download and fill out the budget form by clicking here, before attaching it to the application form.

The Vera Šnajder Award was awarded for the first time in 2021, when the independent Award Commission awarded Zorana Štaka, a student of computer science and mathematics, and Zlata Jašarević, a student of materials science and chemical engineering.

MEET THE 2021 AWARD WINNERS

The second Vera Šnajder Award in a row was awarded in 2022, where the winners were Emina Tahirović, a student of information technologies, and Amina Tucak-Smajić, a student of pharmacy.

MEET THE 2022 AWARD WINNERS

Vera Šnajder was born on 2 February 1904 in Reljevo near Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As one of the best mathematicians of her generation, she was awarded a French government fellowship that allowed her to travel to Paris in 1929. In Paris she pursued her research at the Institute Henri Poincaré, which had just been established by mathematicians Émile Borel from France and George David Birkhoff from the United States to foster international exchanges in mathematics and theoretical physics. Mixing with the crème de la crème of the French scientific community, she also worked as a research associate at the Laboratory for Hydrodynamics at the Sorbonne, became the first author from Bosnia and Herzegovina to publish work in mathematics.

However, in late 1932 Vera turned down the offer and decided to return to Sarajevo to work as a professor at the Women’s Secondary College. Together with her husband, Marcel Šnajder, she became a permanent fixture of a close-knit group of cosmopolitan and progressive Sarajevo intellectuals.

After the liberation of the city in 1945, Vera Šnajder devoted her physical and intellectual powers to the rebuilding of her homeland: helping establish the Department of Mathematics at the University of Sarajevo, making scientific connections with domestic and international institutions, sending students and colleagues on study abroad programs, and tirelessly and selflessly promoting and encouraging young scholars in their professional and personal development.

Vera was the first women elected to the position of Dean in the entire Yugoslavia. She served at the University Senate for many years, and also served on the Educational Board of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was president of the Committee of the Board of National Library, member of the Committee for Election of Scientific Associates, president of the Committee for Professorial Exams and also a long-term president of the Yugoslav-French Society.

More importantly, she tirelessly nurtured students and advised younger professional staff throughout her career with the far-sighted intention of bringing their overall knowledge and skills to perfection. This way the young generation would enjoy personal and professional success while simultaneously serving and improving their homeland.