Apply Today: IFER Ethical Research Poster Awards

BMES and the International Foundation for Ethical Research (IFER) are offering an opportunity for  for high school and undergraduate students presenting posters at the 2026 BMES Annual Meeting.

IFER will recognize up to 10 outstanding student presenters whose research is helping advance non-animal, human-relevant approaches to biomedical research and testing. Selected recipients will receive a financial award of up to $350 and an official certificate of recognition.

If your research focuses on developing or applying methods that could replace the use of animals in research, review the eligibility requirements below and apply by September 8.

Who Is Eligible?

Applicants must meet all of the following requirements:

• Student Status: Applicants must be a high school or undergraduate student and the primary presenting author of the submitted work.
• 2026 BMES Annual Meeting Presentation: Applicants must have an accepted abstract and present their poster in person at the 2026 BMES Annual Meeting.
• Eligible Research: The presented work must focus on developing or applying non-animal, human-relevant research methods with the goal of replacing the use of animals in research. Examples may include organ-on-chip technologies, organoids, computational or in silico models, and human cell- or tissue-based systems.
• Allowed Exceptions: The use of standard animal-derived laboratory reagents, such as FBS, Matrigel or antibodies, is acceptable and does not make a project ineligible.
• Project-Specific Certification: Applicants are only certifying the research presented in their own submitted project. Students are not required to certify or attest to other research being conducted within their broader laboratory or research group.

Award Details

Application Deadline: Tuesday, September 8, 2026

IFER will select up to 10 award recipients from eligible applicants. Winners may not be notified prior to the Annual Meeting.

During the conference, IFER representatives will visit each selected recipient during their scheduled poster session to present an official certificate of recognition and participate in a brief photo opportunity.

Following the Annual Meeting, financial awards of up to $350 will be distributed by BMES on behalf of IFER once the recipient's attendance and poster presentation have been formally verified.

Students conducting innovative, human-relevant research are encouraged to apply and share how their work is helping advance new approaches to biomedical discovery.