Awards Information

To be eligible for any one of these awards, you must indicate for which awards you are applying during the abstract submission process. Additional requirements for each award and can be reviewed by clicking on the links below.


Young Statistician Showcase Award

The Young Statisticians Showcase is an important part of the International Biometric Conference (IBC). If you are currently an MSc or PhD candidate or graduated with one of these degrees in 2019 or later, you are eligible to enter the competition.

Five papers (one each from Africa, Asia & Australasia, Europe, North America, and South America) will be selected for presentation in the Young Statistician Showcase session. The winners will each receive a stipend of $3,000.00 USD to cover expenses in attending IBC2022 in Riga, Latvia from July 10-15, 2022.

Award Details →

Application and Award Process:

All those interested in applying should follow the instructions below:

  • Submit their contributed paper abstract through the IBC abstract submission site and indicate that they are applying for the Young Statisticians Showcase Competition. Papers should meet the guidelines of the IBC abstract submission guidelines.
  • Applicants will be asked to submit a PDF of their submitted paper, no later than one week after the abstract submission deadline on 31 October 2021.
    • Papers are due to conference@biometricsociety.org by 12 November 2021. This deadline with change if an extension to the abstract submission date is granted. 
    • Papers submitted must be no longer than 4 pages and must contain original work that has not yet been published, has not been the subject of any other award, and is predominantly student's own work. The applicant must be the leading author of the paper. 
    • Applications analysis qualify only if the analysis has methodological implications or shows a novel and interesting application of statistics to an area of the biosciences, including health, agricultures, or ecology. 
  • The applicant will also be responsible for attaching a letter from their supervisor, or former supervisor, on official letterhead of the student's institution, confirming that the student is registered for (or obtained since the start of 2019_ a graduate or post-graduate degree, and that the paper to be presented is original, neither previously published, not the subject of any other award and is predominantly the student's own work. 
  • The applicant should also attach a short statement of the financial need and the importance of participation in the IBC2022 Conference (no more than 500 words). 
  • Only one paper per student will be accepted.
  • Applicants should be a student member of the International Biometric Society. 

Selection process:
All submitted papers will be reviewed by a committee of five judges. Five papers, one from each of the five continental areas (Africa, North America, South America, Europe, and Australasia), will be selected based on the following criteria: clarity, innovation, methodology, and application aspects in addition to submitted supporting documents. each paper will be independently judged by at least two judges. 

Awardees will be informed in February 2022 and will be asked to prepare an oral presentation at the Young Statisticians Showcase during the IBC2022. If any awardee is unable to attend, the committee will have the option to select another applicant.

Travel Award

Travel Award Applications are granted to those individuals who reside in a Lower-and-middle income country according to the World Bank and to those individuals who have submitted an abstract and been selected to present during an Oral or Poster session during the IBC2022.  If selected, funding may be utilized for travel, accommodations, and registration to the conference. 

Award Details →

Guidelines for Travel Awards in IBC Years

This document outlines the procedure to be used to fund travel for IBS members from Lower- or Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) (http://www.biometricsociety.org/regions/) who seek to participate in the IBC.

Guidelines for Travel Support

Award Amount:

Up to $3,000 USD for travel, lodging and registration expenses to attend the International Biometric Conference (IBC). Funding will be granted on even numbered years.

Eligibility:

  • Applicant must be an IBS member at the time of application and for at least 12 months prior to the date of application.
  • Applicant must be residing in a Lower-or-Middle Income Country (LMIC) at the time of the application. Lower- or Middle-Income Countries are defined by the World Bank as countries classified as low or middle income countries. A list is on the World Bank website (see: https://data.worldbank.org/income-level/low-and-middle-income).
  • Previous Travel Fund award winners may apply if the award was not made in the previous four years. However, preference will be given to those who have not received a travel award in the past.
  • The conference to be attended must the International Biometric Conference.
  • An applicant does need to have applied for an oral or poster presentation. Travel funding will only be awarded to those that have been chosen to present their presentation at the IBC.

How to Apply

Apply online at: https://forms.gle/2mQun24zWqXpcBmV8.  The application deadline is 22 February 2022.

Once you have completed the online application, please submit your membership verification to conference@biometricsociety.org. This may be in the form of your receipt or welcome letter from your Region Administrator.  


A Word about IBS and Region Financial Support

  • Much of the funding provided through this program will come directly from the International Biometric Society.
  • However, some Regions or Networks may decide to become involved in the funding of Lower Middle Income country members to attend the IBC.
  • Applicants are encouraged to reach out to Regions and Networks regarding any level of support they may be able to provide. In their written response, Regions are encouraged to specify to applicants how many awards they might help 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.

 

Review Criteria

All applications will be reviewed and evaluated using the following criteria:

  1. Length of IBS membership
  2. Participation in Society activities at group, regional and/or international level
  3. Academic and professional activity
  4. Availability of other funding
  5. Professional reference

 

Notification

All applicants will receive an email notification by March 2022 regarding the final status of their application.

Best Poster Award

If you are an IBS member (including student members) and if your abstract is accepted for poster presentation, you are eligible to be considered for Best Poster Presentation Prize.

The aim of this competition is to encourage the use of poster presentations and encourage the participation of all delegates in the poster sessions at the International Biometric Conference (IBC).

The competition is divided into two categories: ‘Student’ and ‘Professional’. Typically, one award is given in each category. Award winners are recognized at the Closing Conference Awards Ceremony of the conference, as well as in the Society’s quarterly newsletter, the Biometric Bulletin, and on the website and social media platforms.

Award Details →

Application

Application is at abstract submission. The abstract submission must indicate application for this award. To be considered in the ‘Student’ category, the lead author and presenter must be designated as a student during abstract submission.

If the paper is accepted for poster presentation, it will then be judged during the conference. Applicants for the award should make sure they are available to answer questions about their poster at the designated times for the poster session they have been assigned.

Judging

A sub-committee of three members drawn from the International Program Committee (IPC) and the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) will evaluate all poster award applicants. Committee members evaluate papers anonymously, scoring them on a scale of 1-5 based on the following criteria:

  1. Originality: How original is the concept presented in this poster? Or, how original is the new approach to an old problem?
  2. Significance: Does the work offer new insight into an area of biometrics, or does the line of work offer considerable promise for the future?
  3. Presentation: How logical are the ideas presented in this poster? How interesting is the manner of presentation?
  4. Methods: How suitable is the research design for the stated objectives, and how appropriate are any statistical techniques applied?
  5. Poster Quality: Were the design, layout and format of high quality?
  6. Interview: How knowledgeable and conversant is the presenting author with the research presented in the poster?

Important note: At abstract submission, if eligible, an abstract may be designated to be considered for the Young Statistician Competition, Best Student Oral Paper and Best Poster. It is then entered into the relevant competition after decisions regarding assignment of the abstract are made.

Best Student oral Paper Presentation

If you are an IBS member and an enrolled student at the time of registering for the conference, and your abstract is accepted for oral presentation in a contributed paper session, you are eligible to be considered for Best Student Oral Presentation Prize.

The aim of this competition is to encourage the participation of students in the oral program at the International Biometric Conference (IBC) and to improve the quality of scientific communication.

Award winners are recognized at the Closing Conference Awards Ceremony of the conference, as well as the Society’s quarterly newsletter, the Biometric Bulletin, and on the website and social media platforms.

Award Details →

Application and Award Process:

Initial application is at abstract submission. The lead author and presenter must be designated as a student during abstract submission. The abstract submission must indicate application for this award.

The student presenter must be a student member of the IBS and should register for the conference as a student delegate by the early bird registration deadline.

If the paper is accepted for oral presentation in a contributed oral session, the applicant must then submit a final draft of the presentation (PowerPoint or PDF) by the early bird registration deadline date via email: conference@biometricsociety.org. Validation of student status (for example, a letter from a supervisor) will also be required at this time.

Judging:

Select members from the International Program Committee (IPC) and the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) will judge the presentations. The submitted papers will be pre-screened by the judges, and no more than 12 will be selected as finalists for the competition. At least two judges will attend the oral presentation of each finalist in the competition.

The judging criteria are as follows:

  1. Originality: to what extent does the work presented add to the existing body of knowledge?
  2. Purpose: is the purpose clearly stated, and is it importance discussed?
  3. Methods: are the methods and statistical analyses sound?
  4. Conclusions: do the conclusions follow from the results presented?
  5. Presentation: did the presenter speak clearly and effectively? Were the multimedia aids of high quality?
  6. Answering Questions: How well did the presenter answer questions from the audience?

This information about the award will also be available on the conference website: https://www.ibc2022.org/events/cs22


Important note: at abstract submission, if eligible, an abstract may be designated to be considered for the Young Statistician Competition, Best Student Oral Paper and Best Poster. It is then entered into the relevant competition after decisions regarding assignment of the abstract are made.

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 to serve 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 others, 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 care for honorable causes, who have helped to raise the standing of disadvantaged groups in the profession including women and minorities, are encouraged to describe this work in their application, which will be viewed favorably. 

Award Details →

Award: A certificate and $1,000 (USD) sponsored jointly by the International Biometrics Society
(IBS) and the Caucus for Women in Statistics (CWS).

Eligibility:
  1. Having been selected and notified for an oral presentation (contributed or invited) for IBC 2022.
  2. All current students or those who have obtained their Masters or Ph.D. on or after May 2017. Documents attesting to this eligibility (e.g. current valid student ID or diploma showing the date of graduation) need to be submitted with other information as requested below.
  3. Must be an IBS and/or CWS member in good standing.
  4. Both men and women are eligible for this award.

Application procedure:
  1. Submit a summary (500 words maximum) describing the main contributions of the applicant to research in biostatistics/biometrics. The applicant may also describe their contributions in serving and caring for disadvantaged groups and promoting diversity in particular, if these contributions exist.
  2. Arrange for two letters of reference (250 words maximum) attesting to the value of the candidate’s contributions, to be submitted directly to the Award Committee.
  3. All materials (including the reference letters) should be submitted to the Award Committee as a pdf attachment to the following email address: conference@biometricsociety.org.
  4. Deadline: Applications are due 15 February 2022

Award Judging Procedure:
  1. Submissions will be judged by the Award Committee, and all applicants will be notified on the selection of finalists one month after the notification of the acceptance of contributed  abstracts.
  2. All finalists will be judged by members of the Award Committee in the sessions where they are scheduled to speak at the IBC conference. In the event that online presentations are necessary, finalists will be scheduled to present their work via a public Zoom session and will be judged by members of the Award Committee.
  3. The winner will be announced at the conclusion ceremony of the IBC. The winner is also requested to provide a brief description of his/her research and contributions to the profession and a brief biosketch. Such materials will be posted on the CWS and IBS websites and may also be used in other Society publications/communications. Recorded versions of finalist presentations will be made available on the Society Websites.