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IBS-CWS Florence Nightingale Award
Florence Nightingale (1820–1910), an English statistician and the founder of modern nursing, was born in Florence, Italy. She was an inspirational person with a passion for serving and care; for example, she cared for wounded soldiers in the Crimean War. Nightingale was not only the founder of nursing, but she was also an acclaimed and compassionate statistician who, among other achievements, pioneered visual statistics.
To honor this pioneer, the Florence Nightingale Award will be given to the most outstanding eligible candidate who has demonstrated exceptional scholarship. Candidates with a record of service and commitment to honorable causes, who have helped to raise the standing of disadvantaged groups in society including women and minorities, are encouraged to describe this work in their application, which will be viewed favorably.
Purpose of the Award
The Florence Nightingale Award honours outstanding early-career scholars who demonstrate:
- Excellence in biometrics and biostatistics research
- A demonstrated record of service, mentorship, and leadership
- Outstanding contributions to advancing equity and supporting disadvantaged and underrepresented groups
Applicants are encouraged to highlight both their scientific contributions and their community and societal impact.
Award Details
Prize: A certificate and $1,000 (USD)
Sponsors: The International Biometrics Society (IBS) and the Caucus for Women in Statistics and Data Science (CWS)
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must:
- Have been accepted and notified for an oral presentation (contributed or invited) for IBC 2026.
- Be a current student or have obtained their Master’s or Ph.D. in or after May 2021. Documents attesting to this eligibility (e.g., current valid student ID or diploma showing the date of graduation) must be submitted with other required information.
- Be an IBS and/or CWS member in good standing.
- Demonstrate service and care for honorable causes, helping to raise the standing of disadvantaged groups in society including women and minorities.
- Note: All genders are eligible.
Application Requirements / Procedure
To qualify for consideration as a possible recipient of the Florence Nightingale 2026 Award, applicants must complete the application through the application form provided and submit the following:
- A summary of scientific contributions (500 words maximum) describing the applicant’s research in biostatistics/biometrics. The applicant should also describe their contributions in serving and caring for disadvantaged groups and promoting diversity, if applicable.
- A brief summary of involvement in IBS and/or the Regions over the past 5 years, highlighting roles in mentoring, leadership, events, and committee involvement.
- Deadline: Applications must be completed by 24 April, 2026. Applicants will be notified of their status by 11 May, 2026.
Guidelines for Travel Awards in IBC Years
During IBC years, the International Biometric Society Awards Fund Committee offers a program to assist IBS members from Lower- or Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) who seek to participate in the International Biometric Conference. This year, IBS will host IBC2026 in Seoul, Korea from 12-16 July 2026.Guidelines for Travel Support
Award Amount:Up to $3,000 USD may be awarded for travel, lodging, and registration expenses to attend IBC2026.
Eligibility:
- To be offered funding, an applicant must have been approved for an oral or poster presentation at IBC2026.
- Applicants must be an IBS member at the time of application, and for at least 12 months prior to the date of application.
- Applicants must reside in a Lower-or-Middle Income Country (LMIC) at the time of the application. See the World Bank website for details.
- Previous Travel Award Fund winners may apply if the award was not received in the previous four years. Regardless, preference will be given to those who have not received a Travel Award in the past.
- All travel award requests must be received through this portal during the open application period.
- Please contact the International Business Office (IBO) ibs@biometricsociety.org with any questions,
- This is a competitive process and not all applicants will receive funding.
- Much of the funding provided through this program will come directly from the International Biometric Society.
- However, some Regions, Networks, institutions or even individuals may decide to become involved in the funding of Lower Middle-Income country members to attend events.
- Applicants are encouraged to first reach out to their home institutions or their IBS Regions and Networks regarding any level of support they may be able to provide. Regions are encouraged to specify to applicants whether they are able to fund, what can be funded, and any other criteria for applicants. This communication not only allows the IBS and Regions to make the most of available funding. It also encourages individuals to establish ongoing connections with local Regions.
All applications will be reviewed and evaluated using the following criteria:
- Previous Travel Awards history
- Evidence of valid IBS membership
- Participation in Society activities at the region or international level
- Academic and professional activities
- Availability of other funding
Process
1. Register
New to this site? Click on the "Register" link and complete and submit the registration form.
2. Login
Login to the award application with your email and password.
3. Create
Create your online application.
4. Save
During the Call for Applications period, your application can be saved as DRAFT until all the required information is completed and attachments uploaded. As each section is complete, you will see a 
appear in the category tab when the application is saved. At any time, you can download and print your application by clicking on the 
icon in the Application Summary section.
5. Submit
On completion, save your submission as FINAL. Download and print a copy of your application for your records by clicking on the icon in the Application Summary section in the right column. Note: If an update is required prior to the end of the Application period, you can make the update and save as FINAL.
If you require assistance or additional information, please contact the Award Administrator.
Key Dates
| IBS - CWS Florence Nightingale Award | |
| Application Period Open | Apr 9, 2026 |
| Application Period Close | Apr 24th, 2026 |
| Reviews Period Opens | Apr 17th, 2026 |
| Reviews Closed | May 8th, 2026 |
| Applicants Notified | May 11th, 2026 |
Contact Us
The International Biometric Society1120 20th Street, NW, Suite 750
Washington, DC 20036-3441, USA
Phone: 202-712-9049
Email: no-reply@rhythmq.com
