Evidence to Impact Award
Recognizing innovative research that bridges the gap between evidence and real-world health impact. Apply now to be part of the change.
About the Award
The Lancet-Elsevier Foundation Evidence to Impact Award is dedicated to supporting research projects that address pressing health challenges worldwide. Emphasizing implementation science, the award seeks to bridge the gap between scientific evidence and practical application, with the goal of fostering health improvements that are sustainable and adaptable, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Today’s health landscape faces complex challenges – from rising non-communicable diseases and infectious diseases to malnutrition and healthcare access gaps. Traditional approaches often fall short of delivering scalable, long-lasting solutions. The Evidence to Impact Awards aim to highlight the importance of implementation science – an approach focused on translating research into practical, context-specific strategies that have the potential to drive systemic change across diverse settings.
We believe that meaningful progress is rooted in collaboration – bringing together researchers, healthcare providers, policymakers and local champions, working together to turn evidence into impactful health solutions.
Eligibility
- Applications must describe projects that either study the implementation of existing or planned interventions, or support and/or facilitate the active implementation of interventions.
- Applicants must work with a range of stakeholders, including researchers, healthcare providers, policymakers, and community members.
- Projects should be ongoing, near-end, or recently completed (less than a year before the application).
- Teams with significant partnerships with organizations in LMICs (as defined by the World Bank for 2025) will be prioritized.
Application Criteria
- Proposals must incorporate principles of implementation science, including evidence-based practices and implementation outcomes, demonstrating how they will achieve effective and sustainable health interventions. Examples include frameworks like CFIR and RE-AIM.
- Projects should align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Consider gender, socio-economic, and climate dimensions for a holistic approach.
- Proposals must involve local communities throughout the project, demonstrating meaningful engagement in design, execution, and evaluation.
- Proposals should be explicitly aligned with local contexts, needs, and national policies, involving local leaders, organizations, or governments.
- Proposals must adhere to ethical standards and regulations, including obtaining necessary approvals. Authors should disclose AI-assisted technologies used, as per Elsevier policies here.
Please refer to the full eligibility and evaluation criteria through our application guidelines.
1) How do I submit my application?
You can submit your application on the Evidence to Impact Awards platform at: https://app.oxfordabstracts.com/stages/80146/submitter
2) What is the application process and timeline for the Award?
The Evidence to Impact Awards will proceed through the following stages:
- Proposal Submission: Interested applicants can submit their proposals online during the open submission period from October 27, 2025, through February 2, 2026.
- Evaluation and shortlisted proposals announcement: From March to April 2026, a panel of expert reviewers will evaluate all eligible proposals based on Award criteria. During this period, shortlisted applications will be selected and announced.
- Final jury review and winners’ selection: Between April and June 2026, our jury Board will conduct a thorough review of the shortlisted proposals to identify the three winners. The winners will be announced mid-June 2026.
3) What are the eligibility criteria?
Please refer to the section above on eligibility criteria and our application guidelines.
4) What are the prizes of the Evidence to Impact Awards?
The three winning projects will each receive a monetary prize of $10,000 USD to support their implementation and further development. In addition, their work will be showcased in The Lancet Global Health. Furthermore, one representative from each winning team will be invited to present their project at a prominent global health conference, offering an valuable international platform for visibility and networking.
5) Can I receive a certificate confirming that my proposal was shortlisted for the award?
Certificates are available upon request. To obtain your certificate, please send your request to evidencetoimpact@elsevier.com.
6) Can I get feedback on my application?
Unfortunately, due to the high number of applicants, it is not possible to offer individual feedback.
7) Who can I contact if I have additional questions?
For any question or clarification, please contact us at evidencetoimpact@elsevier.com.
Malabika Sarker
Associate Dean for Global Engagement, Brown University, USA
Professor Malabika Sarker is a globally recognized public health scholar and implementation scientist with over 35 years of experience bridging research and practice to advance global health equity. A physician with advanced degrees from Harvard and Heidelberg, she pioneers mixed-methods implementation research in maternal and child health, NCDs, and health systems strengthening. Former founding Director of the Center for Implementation Science and Scale-Up at BRAC JPGSPH and now Associate Dean for Global Engagement at Brown University, she has trained over 100 junior researchers and published 150+ papers. Her leadership spans global advisory boards, including The Lancet Global Health, Gavi, and WHO.
Rasha Khatib
Research Scientist, Advocate Aurora Research Institute, USA
Dr. Rasha Khatib is a Research Scientist at Advocate Aurora Research Institute and an Associate Professor in the Department of Implementation Science at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Her work focuses on hypertension and cardiovascular disease prevention, with an emphasis on pragmatic trials, implementation science, and health equity in both U.S. and global contexts. Dr. Khatib leads multi-site studies evaluating strategies to improve blood pressure control in primary care and directs global research examining disparities in hypertension management across diverse populations.
Roman Xu
Professor of Global Health, Southern Medical University, China
Dr. Roman Xu is a Professor of Global Health at Southern Medical University in China, leading research on health systems improvement. He directs the Center for WHO Studies and the Acacia Lab for Implementation Science. His work focuses on implementation research for health care quality and systems strengthening in China and other countries. With over 60 publications, he has contributed significantly to global health policy and research. He holds degrees from Sichuan University, Harvard, and the University of Washington.
Ronald Olum
PhD Scholar, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA
Dr. Ronald Olum is a public health physician, an award-winning global health leader, and researcher from Uganda. His research focuses on infectious disease epidemiology and implementation science, with particular interests in HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and fungal infections, where he has contributed to more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Olum also does research in adolescent health and emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. He is a member of the World Health Organization Global Action for Measurement of Adolescent Health (GAMA) Advisory Group and the Lancet Global Health International Advisory Board. Dr. Olum is currently pursuing a PhD in Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Lucia D’Ambruoso
Senior lecturer in Global Public Health, University of Aberdeen, UK
Dr. Lucia D’Ambruoso is a social scientist and senior lecturer in global public health at the University of Aberdeen, UK. Her research focuses on health policy and systems research, participatory and embedded approaches, and the social, political, and commercial determinants of health inequalities. With over 20 years of international experience across academia, governments, UN agencies, and civil society, she applies social science methods to strengthen public health policy and practice. She co-founded the WHO Collaborating Centre for Verbal Autopsy at the University of the Witwatersrand, where she is a senior researcher, and serves as Deputy Director of the Centre for Global Development at Aberdeen. Her work advances the ethical, social, and computational dimensions of mortality data and supports postgraduate training and global health policy.
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