Prize Information
Davidson Gwatkin Equity Measurement Prize
Metrics for Management, with support from the Broad Reach Foundation and Nepheli Foundation, is pleased to announce the 2026 Davidson Gwatkin Equity Measurement Prize. The Gwatkin Prize recognizes the application of the EquityTool and its data to assess and improve services that reach the poor or to gain insight into wealth equity in low- and middle-income countries.
This year, M4M is pleased to introduce a second category of the Gwatkin Prize recognizing innovative equity measurement projects in humanitarian contexts. Metrics for Management is currently expanding its suite of measurement resources by developing tools specifically designed to respond to equity measurement needs in humanitarian settings globally.
A jury of experts will award one prize for practical or research applications of the EquityTool and one prize for equity measurement efforts applied in humanitarian contexts. The two prizes will each be valued at USD $7,500. Winners will also receive a USD $4,000 travel stipend to present their work at an M4M-sponsored side session at the 2026 Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in Cairo, Egypt (December 7-9, 2026).
Practitioners, students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty are eligible to participate, and applications may be submitted either by an individual author or a team of co-authors. Application forms for the Gwatkin Prize will be open from August 1 to August 31, 2026. A second round of prize competition will open September 21 to October 2, 2026 for participants at the 2026 Health Systems Research conference to compete for prize funds to support forward-looking equity measurement work in development and humanitarian contexts.
About Davidson Gwatkin
Davidson (Dave) Gwatkin is a leading global voice on how to apply pro-poor policies and programs to make health systems more equitable and advance progressive universalism.
As an advisor to the World Bank, the African Development Bank, WHO, UNICEF, the Rockefeller Foundation, and other agencies, he has worked to assure that the poor are the focus of development efforts and that they remain at the center of measuring development success.
In doing so, he has inspired two generations of experts in health, agriculture, education, and economics, guiding them to understand that development success should be measured by the effects on individuals and families, not on national statistics.
In addition, Dave champions measurement as central for all development work and believes that the measurement of wealth can play an important role in all equity-focused efforts. He has advised the development of the EquityTool since 2010, and has served as a Global Advisor to Metrics for Management since 2015. With Dave’s help, the EquityTool has grown into an efficient and valid tool, easy and fast enough to serve the needs of a national government, international donor, or local school, NGO, or clinic. Prize Categories
One prize each will be awarded in two categories:
Category 1: Development Equity Measurement Prize
- Recognizes program, service delivery, or research uses of M4M’s EquityTool to assess and improve health services for populations in low- and middle-income countries. Submissions must show at least one use of EquityTool data between 2021 and 2026.
Category 2: Humanitarian Equity Measurement Prize
- Recognizes innovative projects measuring equity in humanitarian health service delivery, including but not limited to applications of emerging tools or practices. This category welcomes methodological innovation, implementation science, and evidence of impact in crisis-affected populations. Submissions must describe projects completed between 2021 and 2026.
Application Steps
- Complete applications must be submitted through the application portal by the deadline of 11:59 pm EDT on August 31, 2026.
- Only one submission per project is permitted, and nominees may apply to only one of the two categories. Multiple applications may result in disqualification for all applicants.
Eligibility Criteria
Nominees
- Author or co-author of a study or implementation project that meets the eligibility criteria (below) for one of the two prize categories.
- Nominee must have a demonstrated organizational affiliation. Either:
- Full-time staff at a public or private organization such as a government agency, non-governmental agency, or technical firm. Independent contractors are not eligible unless the contractor can demonstrate a dedicated and prolonged relationship with the organization through a contract of, or series of contracts totaling, at least one year of continuous engagement.
- A student, postdoctoral scholar, or faculty affiliated with a university or similar research organization.
- Nominee has not received, or been part of a team that has received, a Davidson Gwatkin Prize in the previous 2024 submission cycle.
- Nominees representing collective work must certify that all team members or co-authors support the submission at the time of application. Letters of agreement and support from collaborators may be requested prior to award.
- Nominee, or a representative from their team, is able to travel to the Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in Cairo, Egypt (December 7-9, 2026) to present the work in-person at M4M’s conference side session.
- Nominee agrees to participate in promotional activities related to your submission, such as a webinar, social media posts, written case study, interviews, and/or presentation of your work at the Health Systems Research conference.
- Winners are responsible for prize receipt and management, including travel stipend. Prize winners are responsible for any applicable taxes.
Nominated Work
Category 1: Development Equity Measurement
- Primary data collected and/or EquityTool questions applied between 2021-2026.
- Provides a clear description and rationale for how wealth measurement using the EquityTool has been, or can be, used to better target or serve the poor with programs and services.
- Work is, or can be made, publicly available.
- Submissions should be anonymized to remove sensitive personal information.
- Work must be submitted in English.
See previous examples of Gwatkin Prize winners in 2024 and 2022.
Category 2: Humanitarian Equity Measurement
- Primary data collected/application of the equity measurement method between 2021-2026.
- Provides a clear description and rationale for how the conceptualization of equity and the data and analysis methods have been, or can be, used to better inform response and guide resources in humanitarian or conflict settings.
- Work is, or can be made, publicly available.
- Submissions should be anonymized to remove sensitive personal information, if any.
- Work must be submitted in English.
Selection Process
A panel of judges will use a blinded process to assess the background and rationale, methodology, and results and impact of the submitted work. See evaluation criteria. All three criteria are equally weighted. In the case of a tied score, an additional judge will be invited to assess the submission. Judges affiliated with the project or institution will recuse themselves from assessment. The top nominee in each of the two Prize categories will be awarded prizes.
Selection Announcement
Prize winners will be notified by email and announced on Metrics for Management’s website in September 2026.
Evaluation criteria
