Women in Science: Driving the Future of Sustainable Energy
February 11 marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a celebration of the critical role women play in scientific fields — including the rapidly advancing world of lithium research. As the demand for efficient, sustainable energy solutions grows, women scientists are at the forefront, pushing the boundaries of battery technology and energy storage. This day highlights their achievements and aims to inspire young girls to explore careers in this vital field. We talked to some of the female researchers in RELiEF and asked them about their female role-models in science and what advice they would give to aspiring female researchers.
JOANA ALMEIDA
Joana is part of the NOVA team. Their role is to develop a sustainable strategy for decarbonizing the transport sector. To this end, NOVA optimises an electrodialytic process for efficient lithium solubilization and recovery from secondary solid and liquid sources, minimizing environmental impacts, and enabling its reuse in battery production for electric vehicles.
Do you have any female role-models in science? Marie Curie is my female role-model in science. She achieved groundbreaking success when women was facing several barriers to participating in scientific research. Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only person receiving Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields: Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911). Marie Curie is a symbol of perseverance, intellectual curiosity, and commitment to scientific progress. Her story daily inspire me to pursue a career in science, proving that determination and passion can break down barriers and lead to transformative contributions to humanity.
What advice would you give to any aspiring female researchers in your field? Stay curious, confident, and persistent. Embrace challenges as opportunities to grow, and recognize the value of your unique perspective in advancing science and driving the clean energy transition.
AMERICA QUINTEROS CONDORETTY
America works in RELiEF’s WP8. She focuses on developing a sustainable business model to commercialize recovered lithium from secondary sources in the RELiEF project. Based on technological developments from other WPs and demonstrator results, the goal is to scale up the process from the lab to an industrial level and design a business model that integrates environmental and social considerations.
Can you tell us a bit about what your path into science looked like? I’ve always loved math, which led me to study industrial engineering in Bolivia. I then pursued a Master’s in engineering management in Turkey and am now doing my PhD at LUT Business School in Finland. Through my research, I joined the LUT SCI-MAT platform, where I work on several EU technological development projects focused on business modeling and the circular economy. This experience has shown me the power of science and how impactful multidisciplinary research can be. My research focuses on the lithium industry and its role in the energy transition. I take a holistic approach to making lithium use for EV batteries more circular by analyzing the industry's complexities and connecting strategies from mining to repurposing end-of-life batteries and recycling. My goal is to integrate circular economy principles into the lithium industry, creating a more sustainable EV battery lifecycle.
Have you faced any challenges as a woman in science, and how did you overcome them? At times, it can be challenging to be heard, but continuously learning, growing, and staying persistent helps. As women, I believe we often strive for impact rather than recognition. That’s why I stay focused on my goal: understanding the world and making a difference through my research.
Do you have any (female) role-models in science? I don’t have a female role model in science at the moment, but I greatly admire Jaime Escalante, a Bolivian math teacher. He believed in the formula ‘Determination + Discipline + Hard Work = The Way to Success,’ proving that students from any background could excel. During his time at Garfield High School (1974–1991) in East Los Angeles, he transformed it into a place of academic excellence, showing the power of education and science to change lives.
What advice would you give to any aspiring female researchers in your field? It's important to explore fields that inspire us and align with our values—sometimes through a microscopic lens, sometimes with a broader view, both equally relevant. Staying open to new research areas can lead to unexpected and meaningful opportunities. I never imagined working in the CRM, battery, or EV sectors, but recognizing its growing role in the energy transition over the past decade sparked my deep interest. Sometimes, the most rewarding paths are the ones we never planned for.
JOANA ROSA GOUVEIA
Joana leads the INEGI team and WP 8. INEGI’s role is to execute the tasks of developing a data management platform to create accurate and reliable life cycle inventory of the innovative processes developed in RELiEF. These results will help to identify the potential environmental and economic gains of RELiEF’s new approaches to lithium recovery in comparison with current extraction and processing approaches.
Can you tell us a bit about what your path into science looked like? It was not something I was thinking intentionally. I first learned about Industrial Ecology and Life Cycle Thinking in college and was immediately hooked on how to reduce emissions and waste within our industries in an efficient but effective manner. However, much of my field worked mostly on consulting services and legal support for environmental management. When I moved to Porto, I found an opportunity in research, specifically for life cycle assessment of energy storage systems, and I thought it would be great to further develop my skills and learn more about research on sustainability. From then, it was clear to me that what made me enjoy this work was the continuous learning and the challenge of tackling different sectors from the sustainability perspective.
What advice would you give to any aspiring female researchers in your field? My advice would be that it is ok to not have all the answers right away – taking time to learn from other more experienced colleagues will allow you to grow faster. Seek mentorship and collaboration opportunities. Sustainability is naturally an interdisciplinary field, and connecting with colleagues from different backgrounds can help find better solutions to the real issues society faces today. While we may gain expertise in specific sectors, our ability to connect with different fields and apply the knowledge from each experience to new challenges, is the most valuable skill that will help create a network of colleagues that trust our work and help us bring effective change towards sustainable development.