The Heinrich Becker Young Investigator Awards for Research and Clinical Innovation

The Heinrich Becker Young Investigator Awards for Research and Clinical Innovation are designed to recognize young researchers and clinicians whose work significantly contributes to bronchology-related patient care, research, or technological innovations. Three equal awards of $1,000 each are given at the biennial World Congress for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology (WCBIP). These funds are intended to help offset costs for attending the WCBIP.

Prior Recipients of the Becker Young Investigator Awards:

• 2014: Adrian Kee, Takahiro Nakajima, Mireia Serra-Fortuny
• 2016: Rosaria Carrinola, Melissa Suter, Bojan Zaric
• 2018: Liyan Bo, Alex Chee, Yu Chen

How to Apply:

• Click the “Apply for Becker award" checkbox on abstract submission form at the official WCBIP website. Abstract submission guidelines here

Eligibility Criteria:

• Submission of a written abstract for WCBIP.
• Eligible abstracts include original prospective or retrospective clinical studies, basic science, or translational research, case –based series, innovative technical descriptions of a procedure or case reports. Abstracts can be up to 400 words and include one table or figure and three references; the title, author affiliations, author titles, tables/figures and references do not count towards the 400 word limit.
• Investigator/clinician must be the primary author of the submitted abstract.
• Investigator/clinician must be under or equal to age 40.
• Investigator/clinician must attend the WCBIP to receive the award.

Judging Criteria:

• Eligible abstracts will be reviewed by the WABIP Awards committee (Committee members from the investigator/clinician’s home institution will abstain from the discussion and voting).
• Abstracts will be judged according to FIVE criteria: (1) Innovation, (2) Impact on a procedure or patient outcome, (3) Presentation of data, (4) Complexity, and (5) Impact on medical practice environment.

Description of the Awards:

• Three award recipients will each receive $1,000 to help offset costs of attending the WCBIP.
• Each award recipient will receive a specially framed award certificate.
• Awardees will be recognized in the WCBIP/WCBE program, opening ceremony, and WABIP website.

*Heinrich Becker, MD, FCCP (retired, Thoraxklinik at Heidelberg University) began his career as an internist specialized in gastrointestinal diseases. A second career as a pulmonologist further expanded his interests in GI endoscopy and bronchoscopy. Dr. Becker’s voluminous clinical and research activities significantly contributed to the design, development, dissemination and evaluation of many interventional technologies used today.