The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) Young Systems Leader Awards celebrates early-career eye health professionals who are passionate about driving systems change within their work, shaping the future of global eye health.
This award is an opportunity for young leaders to gain recognition, elevate their career, and connect with influential leaders across the field.
Award benefits:
- Award winners will receive a host of professional benefits designed to strengthen their influence within the eye health sector:
- Professional recognition: A formal award, endorsed by the IAPB President, and presented at 2030 INSIGHT LIVE 2025, to raise their visibility within eye health and healthcare.
- Career-defining opportunities: A featured role at 2030 IN SIGHT LIVE 2025, including speaking or co-facilitation opportunities.
- Exclusive networking: In-person meetings with senior leaders, including the IAPB President, and exclusive gatherings to build lasting professional connections.
- Development workshop series: Access to workshops covering systems leadership, networking, and public speaking to increase their impact.
- Published work: Post-event publishing opportunities to share insights across IAPB’s platforms.
Conditions of entry
Candidates should be from IAPB member organisations, and be 35 years of age or under as of 3rd May 2025. Any nominations received for individuals who are older than 35 years of age will not be considered for selection. Please note that the awards are intended for professionals in the early stages of their careers.
Candidates for the award must be nominated and seconded by a colleague from within the eye health sector. At least one of these must be an IAPB member. The nominee does not have to be from the same organisation.
Candidates should have demonstrated an aptitude for one or more of the following:
- Embracing opportunities, being adaptable and flexible
- Working and collaborating across sectors
- Trying new approaches – experimenting and piloting ideas
- Building a culture of learning, in which failures are lessons to be shared
- Shifting from reactive problem solving to collaborative planning for the future
Selection criteria and process
Up to 10 Systems Leaders will be selected from the nominees. Any unsuccessful candidates can be nominated again in 2026. All nominees who meet the selection criteria will be considered.
Selection will be based on:
- Strength of the examples provided demonstrating their motivation and aptitude to drive systems change
- Ensuring a diverse group of candidates, based on geography, ethnicity, gender, disability, and job role
Selection of candidates will be conducted by IAPB Regional Chairs, IAPB Executive Committee, and the IAPB team.
Nominations close on 1st December 2024.
Award recipients will be informed by 31st December 2024.
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