Dr Francesca Giliberto wins Water Woman award
Dr Francesca Giliberto, Senior Research Fellow in the Management and Organisations Department, has been awarded the Water Woman Award 2025 for Early Career Academic.
The University of Leeds Water Woman Awards recognise the achievements of women whose work contributes to the objectives of water@leeds in securing competitive research funds, producing world-class research or achieving significant societal impact. These awards aim to shine a light on their efforts in an academic world in which the hurdles are still greater for women.
This year’s awards coincided with the 10th anniversary of the United Nations International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Now in its fourth iteration, the award is based on two equally weighted criteria: the nature of the achievement plus its potential for empowering and inspiring other women into following their example.
The panel awarded Francesca the Early Career Academic award after being particularly impressed by her funding success and published papers, which were evidenced in the application alongside a clear narrative of the social impact of Francesca’s work.
Francesca said: “My story is a testament to what women can achieve in academia despite ongoing challenges.
“Through mentorship, public engagement and leadership by example, I strive to uplift others and create pathways for the next generation of female researchers, empowering them to pursue ambitious goals, advocate for themselves and foster more inclusive and fulfilling academic environments.
“I’m truly honoured and inspired to receive the Water Woman Award for my achievements as an Early Career Researcher. I firmly believe in the power of resilience, collaboration and advocacy – both in academia and beyond.
“I hope my journey encourages other women to pursue their aspirations with passion, ambition and courage, and to drive meaningful change in their fields and the world around them.”
Francesca is the Principal Investigator for the multinational “Advancing Cultural Heritage Governance for Resilient Climate Adaption” (AGREE) project, which advocates for a transformative approach to sustainable urban heritage management, emphasising interdisciplinary collaboration and societal shifts.
