COSMETICS giant L'Oreal will give out three $20,000 fellowships a year to young women scientists here, in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) and national science agency A*STAR.

Women researchers like developmental-biology doctoral student Cecilia Lanny Winata, 26, however, say the sum is not big enough to fund a year of research, although it would help supplement existing grants.

'Why would someone apply when they'd have to fill out more paperwork?' said neurobiology doctoral student Lynette Lim, 27.

But the S$20,000 fellowships are meant as encouragement to women doing research, said Professor Leo Tan, who heads the science committee of Singapore's national commission to Unesco.

Both girls and boys are given equal educational opportunities in Singapore, he added, but cultural perceptions of science as a career may deter sudents from entering the field.

The L'Oreal-Unesco For Women In Science national fellowships have been given out since 1998 in 70 other countries, including South-east Asian nations like Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

They will be awarded in Singapore for the first time next year, as only scientists from Unesco member nations are eligible for the award. Singapore rejoined Unesco only last year after a 21-year absence, one of the last countries to do so.

Doctoral students under 35 and post-doctoral fellows under 45 are eligible to apply. They must be Singaporeans or permanent residents doing their research in Singapore.

The awards will be made to life sciences researchers next year and those in materials science the following year, alternating between the two from year to year.

Applications for the awards open early next year.

L'Oreal and Unesco give two other annual awards to women in science - five laureate awards, on the basis of achievements and potential contributions, and fifteen international fellowships for international research in life sciences.