Submission deadline: October 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM (EST)

The MICCAI Society is committed to bridging healthcare gaps by supporting affordable, inclusive, and high-quality care worldwide.

Objective

In 2026, the MICCAI Society Grants for the Advancement of Health Equity will fund innovative projects in medical image computing and computer-assisted interventions that improve access to healthcare and enhance health outcomes for all populations. We will support early-stage research with the potential for transformative, equitable impact. Submissions should propose new methods and applications with a well-defined path to implementation, applicable to diverse healthcare settings and mindful of variations in data, infrastructure, resources, and costs. For 2026, the grants will focus on geographical health equity, with a dedicated grant for projects addressing environmental and climate health challenges.

Grant Amount

Total funding available: up to $70,000 in Year 1.

• $10,000 per grant for a one-year period.
  • Up to six geographical grants — one for each continental region: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Oceania.
  • One grant for MICCAI challenges in environmental and climate health.

Eligibility Criteria:

1. Applicant Qualifications:

- Lead applicants must be current members of the MICCAI Society.
- Team members must have relevant professional expertise in medical image computing, computer-assisted interventions, or related fields.
- At least one team member must have previous MICCAI publications.
- Teams must be interdisciplinary, including expertise from different fields such as clinical domains.
- For geographical grants, the project must be relevant to the focus area in terms of team composition, clinical need, and/or project data.

2. Project Scope:

- Projects must propose innovative solutions, methods, or technologies addressing current challenges in medical image computing or computer-assisted interventions.
- Projects must have a clear path for real-world implementation supported by documentation such as letters of support, collaborations, intellectual property or regulatory plans, or pilot implementation data.

3. Project Stage:

Proposals must address early-stage concepts, including proof-of-concept studies, pilot projects, or innovative methodological explorations. Exceptional consideration will be given to projects seeking support to address barriers in the initial stages of implementation.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated according to the following weighted criteria:
1. Significance and Originality (25%): Relevance to the funding opportunity and potential to advance care through innovation.
2. Scientific Merit and Feasibility (25%): Quality of research design, feasibility, and readiness of data and infrastructure.
3. Impact on Healthcare (25%): Benefits to clinical practice and patient outcomes, alignment with healthcare needs.
4. Project Plan (10%): Clear timeline, goals, milestones, and a well-justified budget.
5. Team Qualifications (15%): Strength of team, multidisciplinary expertise, and contributions from each member.

Application Process

Submission Requirements:

• Arial font, size 11, with 0.5-inch margins.
• Project page (title, location, affiliations, executive summary, and contact information) – maximum 1 page.
• Scientific approach (significance/originality, scientific merit, and impact) – maximum 2 pages.
• CVs of team members – maximum 2 pages each.
• Budget outline and justification – maximum 1 page.
• Supporting documents (implementation path, health equity impact, ethical considerations) – maximum 5 pages.

Deadline:

Applications must be submitted by October 31, 2025, at 11:59 PM EST. Late submissions will not be considered.

Review Process:

A panel of experts will review and rank applications. Selected projects will be notified by December 16, 2025.

Reporting Requirements

Recipients must submit a mid-term (6 months) and final (1 year) report detailing progress, outcomes, and use of funds. Selected projects may be invited to present their findings at the subsequent MICCAI annual conference.