The ICFP has become the primary meeting point and platform for the world’s family planning and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) community—a space where research, innovation, and advocacy come together to shape the future of the field. 

But without intentional effort, many of the voices who most need to be in that space are the ones least likely to get there: early career researchers from underrepresented regions, working with limited resources, often attending their first global conference. 

The ICFP Early Career Researcher Travel Award was designed to change that. 

Why This Award Matters 

For many talented researchers, advocates, and practitioners—especially those from low- and middle-income countries—the barriers to participating in a global conference are significant. This award removes many of those barriers by providing full travel support to attend ICFP 2025, present their work on a global stage, and engage directly with the professional SRHR community.

This isn’t just about attending a conference. It’s about making space for new perspectives and ensuring the SRHR movement reflects the diversity of the people it serves. This year’s ICFP will be the strongest scientific program to date, with a record-breaking 5,174 submitted abstracts. The Early Career Researcher awardees submitted scientific abstracts along with over 5,000 other researchers, implementers, and advocates in the field and their abstracts were selected to present at ICFP due to their clarity, relevance, innovation, and scientific rigor. With only a 34% acceptance rate, this is an achievement for any member of our community, but when considering the additional barriers that youth face in the field SRHR, it’s all the more impressive.

So it’s not just about having these individuals in the room. It’s about reshaping who gets to speak, share, and lead in the future of SRHR. 

Meet the 2025 Cohort 

This year’s award process drew over 300 applications globally. The criteria went beyond the quality of the research. It looked at the relevance to the field, the potential for future impact, and the equity imperative of ensuring diverse representation. 

The result? Eighty awardees representing over 40 countries and dozens of languages, including English, French, and Spanish, each bringing perspectives shaped by both academic rigor, scientific relevance, and direct community engagement. 

What Makes This Cohort Special 

These awardees are not defined by a single discipline. Among them are midwives integrating human-centered design into their practice, youth leaders challenging policy gaps, and researchers documenting overlooked experiences in humanitarian and conflict settings. 

What they share is a drive to turn research into action, and action into sustainable change. For many, ICFP 2025 will mark: 

• Their first time presenting on a global stage 

• Their first chance to build direct connections with peers and mentors from other regions 

• A moment to amplify their community’s priorities in a global policy space 

 Beyond the Conference 

The Early Career Researcher Travel Award is an investment in long-term leadership that includes capacity building, visibility and growth. The relationship building, collaboration, and knowledge sharing will ripple out far beyond the conference. 

When these awardees return home, they’ll bring with them new knowledge, fresh collaborations, and renewed momentum to advance SRHR in their own contexts. 

The Early Career Researcher Travel Award is more than recognition; it’s an investment in the people who will carry this work forward. It’s about ensuring the future of SRHR leadership is as global, inclusive, and dynamic as the communities we serve. By elevating emerging voices today, we strengthen the SRHR movement for tomorrow. 

Follow along as we share the stories of ICFP 2025 Early Career Researchers and amplify their voices at #ICFP2025.