Apply for a Bursary to Attend the ICM Triennial Congress in 2026

Attending the ICM Triennial Congress is often a career-changing experience for midwives. ICM and its partners are committed to helping midwives from low- and middle-income Countries (LMICs) to have this experience by providing funding to attend Congress through our Congress Bursary Programme.

The Congress Bursary includes 

• One return air ticket (economy class), to Lisbon, Portugal, beginning and ending in the home country of the bursary recipient (costs vary depending on country of residence, ranging between €1,000-€4,000)  

• Travel insurance (costs vary depending on country and age, between €10-€100)  

• Visa costs (costs vary depending on country, between €10–€150)  

• Accommodation to attend Congress, 5 nights (14-18 June 2026 inclusive) in a single room at €130/night (where availability permits; otherwise, shared occupancy could be offered) 

• • Congress fees, €630 (incl. VAT) 

• Per diem allowance of €300 in total 

Who is Eligible 

Applicants must meet the following criteria to be considered for the Congress Bursary:  

1. Be a midwife according to the ICM International Definition of a Midwife  
2. Be a member of an ICM member association in good standing (e.g. membership must be current, fees and other membership requirements must be met)  
3. Live and work in a low or middle-income country (LMIC), as defined by the world bank 
4. Did not receive funding to attend the 2023 Triennial Congress in Bali, Indonesia 
5. Have not secured funding to attend the Triennial Congress in Lisbon 

Priority for bursaries will be given to 

• ICM member association Council Delegates* 

• Congress presenters (including workshop, oral, three-minute thesis and poster presenters) 

*Please note that the Congress Bursary only covers five nights’ accommodation and 5 days per diem. Council Delegates must arrange their accommodation and per diem for the Council Meeting, as these are outside the bursary coverage. 

Application process 

Please complete this form with the following information by Sunday, 07 December 2025: 

• Your contact information  

• A short letter (500 words max) that describes: 

• Your background, including your qualifications (year and place obtained) followed by a description of your most recent employment (last five years); and 

• Your motivation for attending Congress: what you aim to achieve at Congress and how you will use the experience of Congress attendance in your future work. 

• A letter from your national midwives’ association confirming you are a current member in good standing (to be uploaded as a PDF or JPEG) 

• If you are a Council Delegate, a letter stating that you are one of your midwives’ association’s appointed Council Delegates 

• If you are a Congress presenter, proof of abstract acceptance (e.g. confirmation email or letter). 

ICM has secured a limited amount of funding to provide a select number of Congress Bursaries for midwives from LMICs. Priority will be given to Council Delegates and presenters, after which midwives from LMICs that are underrepresented, and who meet all the Eligibility Criteria will be put in a random draw to receive bursaries.  

Information about the awarded bursaries will be communicated by 19 December. 

Partners who have contributed to the funding for these bursaries include ICM’s Safe Motherhood Fund and the Gates Foundation. Other partners may still contribute.  

For questions regarding the application process, please contact us at [email protected]