dmBiH Supports the Next Generation of Female Scientists Through the Vera Šnajder Award
The BH Futures Foundation proudly continues its commitment to uplifting young talent through the prestigious Vera Šnajder Award. This year’s award is made possible through the generous support of dmBiH, the exclusive sponsor of the 2025 cycle, marking the second year in a row that the company has backed this initiative and reaffirming its dedication to empowering women and promoting equal opportunities in STEM.
Together we are empowering three female students with travel grants of 3,000 BAM each. This award is designed to support exceptional female students from Bosnia and Herzegovina pursuing studies in natural or technical sciences at the undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral level.
Applications Across Diverse Disciplines
This year, we received 24 applications, three times more than last year, from students across a diverse range of scientific fields, including automation and electronics, chemistry, genetics and bioengineering, biology, food technology, mathematics, computer science, and software engineering.
Candidates must submit details of their research work and proof that it has been accepted for presentation at an international conference. This is an essential requirement ensuring that the award directly supports meaningful academic engagement abroad.
Expert-Led Selection Committee
Each year, the selection process is carried out by a committee of respected scientists, academics, and industry professionals, many of whom are senior volunteers of the BH Futures Foundation and dedicated contributors to the community. This year, Emina Mušinović, representing dmBiH, is also part of the committee..
For 2025, the committee includes 16 members, among them:
Amina Tucak-Smajić, PhD (Chair)
Merisa Nišić, PhD (Co-Chair)
Emina Mušinović, MS in Electrical Engineering | dmBiH
Academician Prof. Dr. Mirjana Vuković, Academician, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics
Prof. Dragan Huterer, physicist and grandson of Vera Šnajder
Emina Učambarlić, PhD Student in Biomedicine, University of Zurich
Bega Karadža, PhD, Researcher, postdoc | Gent University
Prof. Zlatan Akšamija, Associate Professor | Materials Science and Engineering
Prof. Almir Osmanović, Associate Professor | Mechanical Engineering, University of Tuzla
Nermina Brljak, PhD, Research Scientist at Grifols
Aida Bikic, Screen Time Researcher I Associate Professor
Anes Karić, PharmD, MBA, MS
Dr. Damir Hamidović, Scientist | Silicon Austria Labs GmbH
Ibrahim Hadžić, MS, Pre-doctoral Fellow at Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center
Samir Mehanovic, PhD, Research scientist
Haris Variz, Post Doctoral Research Associate
Winners to Be Revealed at the Futures Leaders Summit
The 2025 recipients will be officially announced at the Opening Ceremony of the Futures Leaders Summit, taking place on December 19 at the Hotel Hills in Sarajevo.
Honoring a Trailblazer in Mathematics
The award commemorates Vera Šnajder, one of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s earliest female mathematicians and a pioneering academic. Supported by a French government scholarship, she continued her studies in Paris, worked at the Sorbonne, and published the first mathematical paper authored by a woman from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Her influence extended far beyond research, she became the first woman to serve as Dean in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider Yugoslav region.
Impact Over the Years
Since the award’s launch in 2021, 10 outstanding students have traveled to international conferences and study programs in Portugal, Germany, Austria, Croatia, Italy, and Dubai, . Many past recipients noted that the experience significantly boosted their professional development, confidence, and exposure to global scientific communities.
