Emerging Leader Award 

The competitive Emerging Leader in the Advancement of Scientific Knowledge Award aims to provide three (3) PhD students, post-docs, or early-career professionals with the opportunity to aid in the planning of the 2027 WCBP Symposium while receiving hands-on guidance through the planning process by industry, regulatory, and academic leaders that will oversee the successful implementation of their proposed session content. 

Meet last year's 2026 Symposium Emerging Leaders:

The 2026 award winners are Lauren Barnes, Pfizer, Inc., and Santosh Paidi, Genentech, a Member of the Roche Group. Read more.

Why should you apply?

Awardees will be given the opportunity to work side-by-side with industry, regulatory, and academic leaders to craft the content that is integral to the success of the 2027 WCBP Symposium.

In addition, the award recipients will receive the following:

• An opportunity to participate in the WCBP 2027 Young Investigator session with a 15-minute oral presentation 
• Waived full-conference registration for the CMC Strategy Forum North America and WCBP 2027.
• Complimentary airfare (up to $700.00) to Washington D.C. for the CMC Strategy Forum and WCBP Symposium.
• Complimentary hotel accommodations (up to 5 nights) at the Mayflower Hotel.
• The ability to join the WCBP Scientific Organizing Committee for the 2027 planning cycle, and the option to remain on the committee for the WCBP 2028 planning cycle and beyond.

While on-site at WCBP, awardees will have access to:

• The full conference experience, including the opportunity to attend the leadership and planning meetings that occur throughout the week.
• Special recognition during the Symposium closing remarks.

Applicants will be selected based on the strength of the proposal's scientific content, alignment with the overall goals of the Symposium, as well as creativity when outlining the proposed session format. 

How do you apply?

To be considered, applicants will submit the following:

• A detailed proposal, which includes your topic, abstract (300 words or less), presentation objectives (questions that you aim to address during the duration of the session), as well as any supplemental materials or case studies that will guide the presentation. 
• A statement of interest (300 words or less) which discusses your interest in attending WCBP 2027, working with the Scientific Organizing Committee, and how this award will enhance your academic and/or professional path.
• A brief biography.
  
• A letter of recommendation from an academic advisor or supervisor.
• A detailed CV or résumé, to include any previous experience presenting at a scientific conference.

Developing Your Submission

The theme of WCBP 2027 is Redefining Complex Drug Development: Embracing Innovation and Building Resilience, which explores how innovation, collaboration, and adaptive strategies are reshaping the development of complex therapeutics. When developing your proposal, consider a topic that is rooted in one (or more) of the following content areas:

• Regulatory Readiness and Rigor: Global alignment, evolving biologics guidance, accelerated pathways. End-to-end supply security: RMs, APIs, single-use systems, fill-finish. Cold-chain logistics.
  
• Scientific & CMC Agility: Potency assays, scale-up variability.
  
• IP & Platform Protection: Patent durability, platform defensibility, biosimilar/FO risk.
  
• Execution Speed & Timeline Certainty: Rapid tech transfer, validation, launch readiness without quality trade-offs.
  
• Network Resilience: CROs, CDMOs, critical supplier redundancy.
  
• Integrated Platform Science: Modular biologics, platform technologies enabling speed, prior knowledge.
  
• Novel Clinical & Development Models: Adaptive trials, decentralized studies, real-world evidence, accelerated pathways.
  
• Next-Generation CMC & Manufacturing: Continuous processing, automation, closed systems, digital QC, rapid scale-up.
  
• Omics, Data & AI Enablement: AI-driven target discovery, process optimization & manufacturing, predictive quality.
  
• Value-Driven Product Design: Differentiation on efficacy, stability, safety, dosing/patient experience.
  
• Agile Regulatory Engagement: Early scientific advice, rolling submissions, comparability strategies.

Apply for WCBP ELAA Award

The deadline to submit an application is August 28, 2026 at 5:00 PM PDT.

*CASSS defines an early career professional as someone that is less than 4 years from the commencement of their first postdoctoral or industrial position.
**Additional information about each format can be found in the application form.