The Berwick & Bisognano IHI Scholarship Fund for Emerging Leaders

The IHI Fellowship Program has long sought provocateurs, emerging health care leaders anxious to pursue better health care with a vision, passion, and commitment that is determined and unwavering, those who understand that if you want to change the world, the need is compelling, and the time is now.

To further our resolute commitment to equity and opportunity in health care, IHI has established the Berwick & Bisognano IHI Scholarship Fund for Emerging Leaders.

​​This scholarship fund is designed to support the mentoring, coaching, and development of health care leaders in quality and safety worldwide, with an intentional and singular focus on providing Fellowship access to leaders of color and those representing populations that have been historically overlooked and undervalued.

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Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPP, FRCP, KBE, is President Emeritus and Senior Fellow at IHI, which he co-founded and led as President and CEO for 19 years. He is one of the nation’s leading authorities on health care quality and improvement and served under President Obama as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

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Maureen Bisognano is President Emerita and Senior Fellow at IHI. She served as IHI’s President and CEO for five years following her role as Executive Vice President and COO for 15 years. Maureen is a prominent authority on improving health care systems, whose expertise has been recognized by her elected membership to the National Academy of Medicine (IOM), among other distinctions.

IHI gratefully acknowledges these organizations and individuals for their generous support of the Berwick & Bisognano Scholarship Fund for Emerging Leaders:

Founding Donors

• Stephen and Lynn Swensen Charitable Fund
• ​IHI Board-Directed Investment Fund

​Organizations and Individuals

• The Commonwealth Fund
• ​Northwell Health
• ​NARBHA Institute
• ​John A. Hartford Foundation
• ​Rx Foundation
• ​CRICO
• ​Healthcare Financial Management Association
• ​Maureen Bisognano and Chuck Neumann
• ​Well Being Trust
• ​National League for Nursing
• Cambridge Health Alliance
• ​Harry Hayman Foundation
• ​Ann and Bob Blouin Charitable Fund
• And many other generous individual contributors

Maureen Bisognano Scholarship in Nursing

Named in honor of Maureen Bisognano, IHI president emerita, Senior Fellow and a champion for compassionate patient-centered care, the Maureen Bisognano Scholarship in Nursing is dedicated to supporting emerging nurse leaders committed to advancing patient advocacy.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Mid-career health professionals with a nursing background.
• Candidates should demonstrate a strong commitment to advancing patient advocacy.
• Preference for candidates who do not have the financial resources to participate otherwise.

Leonard L. Berry Scholarship in Cancer Care

The Leonard L. Berry Scholarship in Cancer Care is dedicated to supporting emerging quality leaders dedicated to advancing the improvement of cancer care, patient experience, and health equity.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Mid-career health professionals who work in oncology.
• Candidates should demonstrate a passion for improving patient experience and health equity.
• Preference for candidates who do not have the financial resources to participate otherwise.

IHI Need-Based Scholarship

There are a limited number of partial, need-based scholarships available annually. Need-based scholarships provide funds for applicants based on level of financial need.

Apply for any of the listed scholarships here.

In the IHI Fellowship Program, safety and quality leaders will embark on a journey focused on strategic impact and leave the Fellowship with a strong network of colleagues committed to innovating and influencing change within their communities and around the world.

Key Dates and Deadlines

Download the full agenda

Tuition

Tuition rate is USD $25,000 per Fellow and may be funded organizationally or individually. Applicants should ensure they have funding in place prior to applying. Tuition will be invoiced once Fellows are notified of their acceptance into the program and is due upon receipt.

Tuition fees cover:

• Access to key modules from the IHI Open School, to refresh knowledge of improvement science and patient safety principles and methods before starting the Fellowship
• Access to the CPPS online review course and credentialing exam
• Two three-day virtual retreats (February and June 2026)
• Two in-person meetings, including graduation celebration (December 2025 and December 2026)
• Bi-weekly live virtual meetings
• Bi-weekly self-paced online learning modules
• Strategic project scoping and individualized mentoring
• Access to the Fellowship learning community, affinity groups, and faculty
• Access to the Fellowship alumni community

Payments

Full payment is due 60 days before the start of the program. If payment in full is not received within 60 days prior to the program start date, IHI will notify you and cancel your registration.

• Credit card payments: Enter your credit card information online during the registration process, or call the IHI Customer Experience Department to process payment over the phone.
• Check payments: Please mail a copy of the invoice with your check made payable to IHI

Cancellations and Refunds

For cancellations made within 45 days before the start of a program: Registration fees are fully refundable if a written request is received by info@ihi.org on or before 45 days before the start of the program.

IHI will issue all refunds in the original payment type (credit card or check) within 30 days. Registrations received after 45 days or less before the start of the program are not refundable.

Scholarships

A limited number of scholarships are available. Learn more about scholarship opportunities.