The Zoological Society of Japan's Masako Oba Award for Encouraging Female Researchers was established based on a donation from Ms. Masako Oba. Its purpose is to support female researchers who, despite facing difficulties in continuing their research due to unstable employment status or similar reasons, strive to advance excellent research in the field of zoological science with a strong will and high aspirations. The OM in the award's name comes from the initials of Ms. Masako Oba.

Despite the enforcement of the Basic Act for a Gender-Equal Society and the Act on the Promotion of Women's Active Engagement in Professional Life, an environment in which female researchers can choose diverse ways of living and fully demonstrate their abilities has still not been realized. The Zoological Society of JapanOpen not only to society members, but to all female researchers studying animal science, we are holding a public call for entries for this award.
This award is, as a rule, presented to two people annually, and winners receive a certificate and a supplementary prize of 500,000 yen.

In September 2021, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the OM Award, "The History of the Zoological Society of Japan OM Awardhave published a booklet titled "

Click here to apply for the Zoological Society of Japan Award and other awards

List of past winners