Athlone STEM student receives scholarship as part of Johnson & Johnson Award Programme

Athlone native Abigail Kamphambale, a Genetics and Genomics student at University of Galway, was among 82 students who have been awarded scholarships as part of Johnson & Johnson’s prestigious Women in STEM2D (WiSTEM2D) Undergraduate Awards.

The Award recognises outstanding female students in STEM2D disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing and Design.

Students from Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick, University College Cork, University of Galway, Munster Technology University, Atlantic Technological University and Maynooth University have received awards as part of the programme.

This marks a 33% increase in recipients compared to 2023, highlighting the growing impact of the programme and recognition of talented female students in STEM2D fields.

This is the ninth year of the annual awards programme in Ireland, highlighting Johnson & Johnson’s dedication to promoting female excellence in STEM.

A day-long event, carefully structured to foster their growth and development was hosted by the Company at Thomond Park stadium.

Attendees availed of workshops and breakout sessions, gaining essential skills and knowledge to prepare them for successful careers.

Research published by the Central Statistics Office in February 2024 positions Ireland as the EU leader in STEM graduate output, but with a notable gender distribution: 53.0 male STEM graduates per 1,000 persons, compared to 27.4 female graduates.

This represents the largest gender differential among all EU member states, highlighting the continued importance of initiatives focused on STEM education participation.