IBSA Foundation expands fellowships after record global interest

By AI, Created 3:06 PM UTC, June 01, 2026, /AGP/ – IBSA Foundation for scientific research said its fellowship program drew 398 proposals from 64 countries in 2025 and named six winners in Barcelona while opening the 2026 call. The program is adding a seventh fellowship and keeping its Research Equity Prize as it pushes broader access to early-career research funding.

Why it matters: - The fellowship program is becoming a larger global gateway for early-career scientists competing for basic research funding. - The 2025 results show rising demand in areas including healthy ageing and regenerative medicine, where proposals made up more than a third of submissions. - The program’s reach also matters for research equity, with nearly 60% of applicants in 2025 identified as female researchers.

What happened: - IBSA Foundation for scientific research announced 2025 fellowship winners at an event in Barcelona titled “IBSA Foundation Fellowship: Empowering Young Talent, Inspiring Tomorrow’s Science.” - The foundation said the 2025 call drew 398 applications from 64 countries, a record for the program. - The foundation also opened the 2026 call for applications at the Barcelona event. - Six researchers received 2025 fellowships, each worth €32,000. - Hernán Andrés Morales-Navarrete of Universidad de Las Américas in Quito, Ecuador received the €5,000 Research Equity Prize.

The details: - The fellowship program funds independent basic research for scientists under 40. - Eligible fields include dermatology, endocrinology, fertility/urology, orthopaedics/rheumatology/pain medicine, and healthy ageing/regenerative medicine. - Winners came from institutions in the United States, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Austria. - Healthy ageing/regenerative medicine, introduced in 2022, drew 136 proposals in 2025. - IBSA Foundation said it has invested more than €1.8 million across 65 projects to date. - Since the program began, the foundation has received more than 2,000 applications from more than 60 countries. - The 2025 Research Equity Prize went to the best project from a laboratory, research institute or university based in a developing country. - The 2026 call will increase the number of fellowships from six to seven, with each fellowship still worth €32,000. - The 2026 Research Equity Prize will remain a €5,000 award for the best scientific project from a developing country. - Researchers can submit proposals for the 2027 fellowships by 31 January 2027 through the IBSA Foundation website.

Between the lines: - The expanding applicant pool suggests the program has moved beyond a niche grant scheme and into a more competitive international platform. - The strong turnout from developing countries and the new equity prize point to a broader effort to widen access to funding, not just reward scientific merit. - The growth in the healthy ageing category suggests the field is becoming a priority area for early-career research.

What’s next: - IBSA Foundation will review applications for the expanded 2026 fellowship round. - The foundation will keep the Research Equity Prize in place for the next cycle. - Successful applicants for the 2027 fellowships must apply by 31 January 2027. - More information is available through the IBSA Foundation website.

The bottom line: - IBSA Foundation is scaling a fellowship program that now draws broad international interest while trying to direct more funding toward early-career researchers and under-resourced institutions.