ISCMR Scientific Article Prize

ISCMR is an international scientific organization of researchers, practitioners, and policy makers that fosters Complementary and Integrative Medicine research and provides a platform for knowledge and information exchange to enhance international communication and collaboration.

In line with ISCMR’s goal to encourage and support high quality research in the field of Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine and Health (TCIM), the ISCMR-initiated Scientific Article Prize Competition establishes an annual award for the best scientific article in the field to provide a way to highlight and share excellence in TCIM research no matter where the scientific article is published, and allows us to celebrate the best research in the TCIM field while affirming the importance and legitimacy of this field of research.

The articles are judged according to the following criteria:
1. Importance of the knowledge gap or issue in the field of TCIM addressed by the research
2. Methodological quality and rigor
3. Evidence of international collaboration
4. Clarity of presentation
5. Impact of the results on health and society

When call for nominations are made, ISCMR members may self-nominate or nominate other ISCMR members or non-members. For further information, please contact secretary@iscmr.org.

Members please login to view the following document that provides detailed information about submission eligibility and nomination and judging processes: Standard Operating Procedure for Scientific Article Prize (pdf) and to download the Nomination Form (docx).

Call for Nominations

2025-2026 Scientific Article Prize - Deadline Extended

The ISCMR Research Advisory Committee (RAC) has extended the nomination deadline for the 2025–2026 Scientific Article Prize to November 30, 2026. Eligible articles must have been published in a peer-reviewed journal between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. New nomination deadline: November 30, 2026

Annual Nomination Period

Each year, the Scientific Article Prize Competition normally opens on the September 1 and closes on October 13. Deadlines may be extended for individual competition years. Eligible articles must be published in a peer-reviewed journal between July 1 of the preceding year and June 30 of the competition year. Publication dates are determined according to the official final PDF full text.

The awards will be announced the following year at the International Congress on Traditional, Complementary & Integrative Medicine Research (ICCMR).

Dr. George Lewith Poster Prize

ISCMR supports the organizing of the annual International Congress on Complementary Medicine Research (ICCMR) and organizes a poster prize competition for trainees and students (defined as those enrolled in a practitioner intern or trainee program, or an undergraduate or graduate degree program).

Prizes:
- Winner receives a certificate and the equivalent of USD $250.
- Two (2) Runners-Up will receive a certificate and the equivalent of USD $150 each.
- Honorable Mentions may be identified during the ISCMR poster prize announcement.

For more detailed information about this prize, members can login to view the following documents:

Standard Operating Procedure for Dr. George Lewith Poster Prize (pdf)

Call for Abstracts

Information about the poster prize will be provided closer to the Congress event date.

Please direct general inquiries to president@iscmr.org or secretary@iscmr.org.

Dr. Marja Verhoef Methodology Lectureship

Dr. Marja Verhoef was one of the co-founders and the first President of the International Society for Complementary Medicine Research (ISCMR). As the Canadian Research Chair in Complementary Medicine at the University of Calgary, Canada, and Associate Professor at the University of Tromsø, Norway, Dr. Verhoef initiated and carried out many research projects, supported students in their Masters and Doctorate studies, and educated medical students in complementary medicine research methods. For her work, she was awarded the Dr. Rogers Prize for excellence in Complementary and Alternative Medicine in 2011.

The Dr. Marja Verhoef Methodology Lectureship, established to promote the development and use of research methods in the field of Alternative and Complementary Medical Research, helped fund the travel costs of having an ICCMR keynote speaker at ten ICCMR conferences from 2014.

ISCMR continues to promote the inclusion of research courses and methodological issues at the ICCMRs, both as part of the vision of the Lectureship, and the greater purpose of advancing discussion and collaboration in methodologies and methods in TCAIM research.

Additional information about the Lectureship can be viewed in the following document: Dr. Marja Verhoef Lectureship (pdf)

Funding Acknowledgement

ISCMR ensures that all decisions regarding the allocation and management of funds are made independently by the organization. Below is a list of our generous funders who have supported ISCMR’s prizes and awards over the years.

ISCMR is proud to be partnered with the Integrative Medicine Research (IMR) Journal, which provides crucial funding to support various ISCMR initiatives, including awards and prizes. While IMR contributes funding, ISCMR retains full autonomy over the allocation and use of these funds.
The Dr. Marja Verhoef Methodology Lectureship was created to honor Dr. Marja Verhoef’s significant contributions to research methodology in traditional and integrative healthcare. We are grateful to Dr. Verhoef for generously contributing the first $50,000 towards this lectureship, which recognizes excellence in methodological approaches to research in these fields.
The ISCMR Scientific Article Prize was generously supported by the Lotte & John Hecht Memorial Foundation, funding the first five years of the competition, which recognizes outstanding scientific contributions in traditional, complementary, and integrative healthcare.

We invite individuals and organizations interested in supporting ISCMR's work to contact us at info@iscmr.org.